People's Democracy

People's Democracy Daonlathas an Phobail
Founding Leaders	Kevin Boyle, Bernadette Devlin, Patricia Drinan, Ian Goodall, Joe Martin, Anne McBurney, Eddie McCamely, Malcolm Miles, Michael O'Kane, Fergus Woods
Founded	9 October 1968
Dissolved	1996
Succeeded by	Socialist Democracy
Political orientation	Irish Republicanism Socialism Irish Catholic Civil Rights Factions: Marxism-Leninism Trotskyism Anarchism

People's Democracy was an an Irish Republican and Socialist political party and activist group in Northern Ireland. It participated in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement and became involved in the campaigns to free political prisoners during the Troubles.

Background

The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was formed on April 9, 1967. It engaged in peaceful demonstrations against the various discriminatory policies and systems that harmed Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland including gerrymandering, housing discrimination, police repression, job discrimination, and poverty.

On 5 October 1968 a march was organized by the Derry Housing Action Committee. The NICRA supported the march and politicians including Gerry Fitt were present. The march was attacked by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, who charged the crowd with batons, injuring several, including several Members of Parliament.

On 9 October, four days later, more than 2,000 Queen's University of Belfast students attempted a march to Belfast City Hall to protest the police atrocities at the previous march. Unionist politician Ian Paisley led a group of counter-demonstrators who blocked the march. Subsequently the student protesters remained sitting where they were stopped for three hours.

Formation

After the march on 8 October a group of students at Queen's University formed People's Democracy. Ten students were chosen to form the 'Faceless Committee' of the new organization. They were, in alphabetical order:

• Kevin Boyle
• Bernadette Devlin
• Patricia Drinan
• Ian Goodall
• Joe Martin
• Anne McBurney
• Eddie McCamely
• Malcom Miles
• Michael O'Kane
• Fergus Woods

The group decided on six aims:

• One man, one vote
• Fair electoral boundaries (an end to gerrymandering)
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of assembly
• The Repeal of the Special Powers Act
• Fair allocation of jobs an houses

The name of the organization was decided on the next day, when, in order to legally file for a march, John D. Murphy, their printer, decided on the name 'People's Democracy'.

Decisions were to be made by majority vote, with the Faceless Committee in charge of enacting them.

Early Actions

They planned a march on 16 October. They reached Belfast City Hall, mostly without interruption by police or counter-protesters. After the march it was decided that the organization would set up local organizations throughout the North. The first was formed in Newry. A week later they attempted to send representatives to Dungannon and Omagh. There their meetings were broken up by Paisleyite mobs. The same occured after attempted meetings in Belfast.

On 23 October People's Democracy planned a demonstration at Stormont, which was the Northern Irish Parliament building. Seventy-two members gathered in the public gallery, and after the Parliament refused to hear discussion on Human Rights Bill they gathered in the lobby, with hundreds of other students gathering outside, blocking the exits until the MP's read a statement saying they would introduce the bill. They discussed the bill, put stickers in support of civil rights around the lobby, and attempted to convince MPs to sign the statement.