No matter how many thousands the self-proclaimed "Peace People' rally at Trafalgar Square, in the North orreane wnicns wnere it maters me novement is in a state of rapid decline.
Loyalists continue to support it, the attitude of thousands in the Catholic gettoes is now one of outright hostility.
The reason is that the 'Peace People' have stated their support for the British Army armed body of men in working class Catholics to support a 'peace-keeping" force which has systematically murdered hundreds of people, tortured thousands, without trial thousands, and raided the homes of tens of thousands, then the only response you can expect is contempt. The facts tell their own story: 11 August: British soldiers in Belfast shoot at a car driven by a member of the Provisional Republican movement. The solder's bullet kills the driver and the car runs onto the paveent where it crashes into a mother and her three children. The children are killed.
13 August: Betty Williams protests against the deaths of the children and blames the Provisionals.
14 August: First 'peace' march in Belfast. 8,000 attend.
21 August: Second 'peace' march, 20,000 attend The Irish Times reports that the majority are from nara line rrotestansaeas oreast betast 22 August: Mairead Corrigan, anther leader of the 'Peace People', tells the Observer: 'In a month's time there's not going to be a bombing or a hijack or a shooting'. The month of September which follows sees the highest level of violence in any one month for four years.
area of Belfast. The march is given While right-wing - the largest When you tell interned the organisers to move away killed by a plastic bullet of the Army.
the Army the rule of law, 29 August: Further march in the Loyalist Shankill protection b uie visier berence associaton.re uister volli teer Force, who with the UDA have been responsible for the vast majority of indiscriminate assassind tions of Catholics, say that they are 'not antagonis tic to Saturday's walk'. They also declare that they themselves have 'consistently worked for peace'.
14 September: Brian Faulkner, who introduced interment without trial in 1971 and was premier at the time of 'Bloody Sunday', says that he gives 'full support' to the 'Peace People'. He says they have 'given people like me great assistance' 18 September: 'Peace' march in Liverpool. The Irish Times reports that 'police were asked by one o several men and women distributing "Troops Out" leaflets"
25 September: 'Peace' march in Glasgow receive official support from the Grand Orange Lodge of 11 October: Peace People leaders chased from a meeting in the Turf Lodge area of Belfast. Beause of their refusal to comment on the role of the British Army, they are accused of sharing responsibility for the death of 13-year-old Paul Stewart, 12 October: Following this attack, 'Peace People leaders make first critical comments on the Army. Reacting to this, a prominent Protestant ministe declares that this criticism 'can do nothing but alienate even the most moderate Loyalist".
13 October: Peace leaders say their statement on was an 'over-reaction'. They make a second and this time 'definitive" statement: 'Our attitude to the security forces is: we fully support and until the Northern Ireland community themselves evolve their own constitutions and form of government, then the Royal Ulster Constabulary and other forces are the only legitim-