Through the little streets of Belfast...

[Bill Struth]

....in the dark of early morn
British soldiers came marauding
Wrecking little homes with scorn.

40 years ago today, my 50 year old grandfather was hauled off to Girdwood barracks by a troop of British soldiers, where he was battered black and blue before being committed to Crumlin Road prison, where he spent the next nine months interned without trial.

In October 1971, a few months later, his son was hauled off as well, where for nine days. he was 'disappeared' - no one knew where he was. He was in a barracks in either Holywood or Derry being subjected to torture - what became known as the 'five techniques' under the direction of British Army Brigadier Frank Kitson.

Internment has been virtually forgotten, but it was one of the greatest crimes ever inflicted against the Irish people.

Almost 2000 republicans, nationalists, socialists and civil rights workers were interned between 1971 and 1975 - with 100 loyalists suffering similarly.

 

[DB74]

That is an usual name to pick for someone of Nationalist heritage

 

[Purple]

Interesting Bill. It's worth remembering our history; when we forget it we repeat it.

 

[AgathaC]

interesting bill. It's worth remembering our history; when we forget it we repeat it.

+1. Only by hearing such personal stories can we even begin to comprehend the horrific effects of these things.

 

[Betsy Og]

Certainly one of the "things done differently, or not at all" as Lizzie mentioned. In terms of what to learn, at least rioters in the UK are getting swift trials and appropriate (even soft) sentences.

Not that I'm making any equivalence between their behaviour and nationalists in the North at the time, from what I recall reading a lot of those interned werent even involved in civil disobedience much less rioting and terrorism.

An army under the direction of Stormont at the time was an outrageously flawed system, its no wonder these things happened.

 

[Ceist Beag]

It's worth remembering our history; when we forget it we repeat it.

+1
Recently read a very good book on the troubles http://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Hearts-Journeys-Within-IRAs/dp/0312156324 (Rebel Hearts: Journeys Within the IRA's Soul by Kevin Toolis) which gives a good insight into the time.

 

[Markjbloggs]

+1. Only by hearing such personal stories can we even begin to comprehend the horrific effects of these things.

Are you sure about that - we Irish are a gullible lot, always prone to a good sob story. Not to mention our propensity to exageration and hyperbola...

All due respects to the OP, though.

 

[terrontress]

There is certainly a double standard at play.

While internment undoubtedly incarcerated people without trial, many of whom had no involvement with violence or terror, those who were bombing and maiming point to the injustice of the process but do not highlight their role in creating the situation which made a politician think internment was the way forward.

Same with Bloody Sunday. SF will call for commemorations etc for an act which slaid numerous innocents. But an isolationist view forgets the soldiers killed in the preceding days and weeks in Derry.

If I were to repeatedly poke a dog with a stick and the dog were to bite someone else passing by, surely I must take the blame for the dog's actions and not focus my attention on the dog alone.

 

[Betsy Og]

There is certainly a double standard at play.

..... and not focus my attention on the dog alone.

I agree, but unfortunately debate tends to turn into "whataboutery", so someone says "Internment was awful..", someone else says "What about car bombs...", gerrymandering .... RUC.... ethnic cleansing... etc etc

One thing I always found odd was that SF/IRA always maintained it was involved in a war and so had no problem with blowing up soldiers (&civilians) or shooting them at long range with a snipers rifle. However when, for instance, IRA members get killed in Loughall while armed and in action, its all whingeing about "shoot to kill". Seems to me the IRA were bombing and shooting to kill. Its either a war or its not. [p.s. I'm not saying its right for government forces to shoot to kill (unless under threat themselves), but if its to be the rules of engagement of a "war" (as insisted by IRA) then isnt shooting enemy soldiers a standard outcome?]

 

[Sunny]

I agree, but unfortunately debate tends to turn into "whataboutery", so someone says "Internment was awful..", someone else says "What about car bombs...", gerrymandering .... RUC.... ethnic cleansing... etc etc

One thing I always found odd was that SF/IRA always maintained it was involved in a war and so had no problem with blowing up soldiers (&civilians) or shooting them at long range with a snipers rifle. However when, for instance, IRA members get killed in Loughall while armed and in action, its all whingeing about "shoot to kill". Seems to me the IRA were bombing and shooting to kill. Its either a war or its not. [p.s. I'm not saying its right for government forces to shoot to kill (unless under threat themselves), but if its to be the rules of engagement of a "war" (as insisted by IRA) then isnt shooting enemy soldiers a standard outcome?]

SF/IRA aren't exactly known for their fair and balanced points of view!

Periods like this will always have two sides. Each side will try and claim the moral high ground and yet each side are guilty of atrocities.