NORTHERN IRELAND: TROOPS USE RIOT GAS TO BREAK UP WORST FIGHTING IN BELFAST SINCE LAST AUTUMN
Record ID:
1081383
NORTHERN IRELAND: TROOPS USE RIOT GAS TO BREAK UP WORST FIGHTING IN BELFAST SINCE LAST AUTUMN
- Title: NORTHERN IRELAND: TROOPS USE RIOT GAS TO BREAK UP WORST FIGHTING IN BELFAST SINCE LAST AUTUMN
- Date: 2nd April 1970
- Summary: 1. GV SPOTLIGHTS SHONE ON RIOTERS THROWING BRICKS 0.11 2. SV ARMOURED CAR WITH TROOPS ABOUT TO BATON CHARGE 0.21 3. SV RIOTERS THROWING BRICKS, STONES, ETC. 0.29 4. SV SOLDIERS BATON CHARGING RIOTERS 0.37 5. SV PETROL BOMBS THROWN AT SOLDIERS 0.40 6. SV SOLDIERS BATON CHARGING RIOTERS 0.48 7. CU SOLDIER WALKING PAST FLAMING PETROL BOMB 0.51 8. SV & SCU SOLDIERS BEHIND ARMOURED VEHICLE (3 SHOTS) 1.12 9. SCU SOLDIER FIRING GAS PELLET INTO RIOTERS 1.50 10. SCU SOLDIERS WITH GAS MASKS 1.20 11. CU SOLDIER TAKING GAS MASK OFF 1.23 12. SV RIOTERS BREAKING UP PAVEMENT STONES (2 SHOTS) 1.33 13. SV SOLDIERS ADVANCING BESIDE ARMOURED VEHICLE 1.43 14. SV RIOTERS THROWING STONES 1.59 15. SV SOLDIERS BATON CHARGING 2.16 16. SV INJURED SOLDIERS BEING CARRIED AWAY 2.23 TRANSCRIPT: SEQ. 1: "THE ARMY'S ANSWER TO THIS WAS A BATON CHARGE. AS THE NIGHT WORE ON, THE CHARGES BECAME MORE FREQUENT AND MORE DETERMINED, BUT AT THIS EARLY STAGE AT LEAST THE SOLDIERS' TACTICS WERE MAINLY DEFENSIVE. ONLY WHEN THE STONE THROWING GOT TOO CLOSE, THEY HAD NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO COME BACK AT THE RIOTERS. THE STREET FIGHTING LASTED ON AND OFF FOR SIX HOURS. THE TROOPS WHO TOOK PART IN IT HAD HARDLY SLEPT FOR 2 OR 3 DAYS. BUT AFTER THE BATON CHARGING THEY STILL HAD ONE WEAPON IN RESERVE. IN THE COURSE OF THE NIGHT THE ARMY USED FOUR GRENADES, AND 21 CARTRIDGES OF CS GAS. THIS CERTAINLY EASED THE SITUATION WHERE IT WAS USED. AND IN THE LOWER PART OF THE TROUBLED AREA. WHERE THE GAS HAD CLEARED. SOME OF THE CROWD TOOK TO BUILDING BARRICADES WITH PAVING STONES. OTHERS, HOWEVER, WERE NOT SUBDUED, THEY WERE ONLY MOVED ALONG. AND AT 10 PAST 1 IN THE MORNING, UNITS OF ROYAL SCOTS AND FIRST LIGHT INFANTRY MOVED OF THE SPRINGFIELD ROAD WHERE FOR HALF AN HOUR THE FIERCEST STREET FIGHTING OF THE NIGHT TOOK PLACE. THE (INDISTINCT) THAT CHARGED BY TWO PLATOONS INTO THE HEART OF THE BALLYMURPHY ESTATE. ONE OR TWO OF THE SOLDIERS I NOTED THREW ROCKS BACK DESPITE ORDERS NOT TO, BUT THEY WERE GREATLY PROVOKED AND THEIR DISCIPLINE IN GENERAL WAS QUITE REMARKABLE. ALSO, IN VIEW OF THE CONDITIONS, THEIR CASUALTIES WERE SURPRISINGLY LIGHT - FIVE IN HOSPITAL AND TWELVE Initials LN/B-V-TELE/AS/OS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 16th April 1970 13:00
- Keywords:
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- Location: BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom Northern Ireland
- Reuters ID: LVA8OBI9JHQNA0LXH0FHEJ31JXJK
- Story Text:
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