Rodney Rice looks back on the Belfast to Derry march and the escalation of violence across Ulster.

It features marchers in Antrim town and Randalstown, breaking the RUC cordon at Dungiven, marchers at Burntollet and arriving at Derry.

The report claims that the RUC have proved their inability to do their job in the maintenance of peace. The civil rights leaders also lost control of their supporters as Derry fell into a state of virtual civil war.

In the aftermath of the People's Democracy march from Belfast to Derry, the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Captain Terence O'Neill, issued a statement warning that his government would consider "a reinforcement of the regular police by greater use of the Special Constabulary for normal police duties" if what he called "warring minorities" did not "rapidly return to their senses."

The Minister of Home Affairs, Captain Long, said that there would be "an active and immediate investigation" into complaints about the RUC's actions in Derry on the night of 04 January 1969.

The Derry Citizens' Action Committee (DCAC) responded to police destruction by calling on residents along the Derry Bogside to defend their property and cancelling the postponement of street demonstrations.

Members of the People's Democracy movement went to Dublin and spoke to RTÉ about their experiences on the march.

A RTÉ report for 'Seven Days' by Rodney Rice.

This report reflects on the events of the Belfast to Derry march broadcast on 7 January, 1969.

'Seven Days' began broadcasting on 26 September 1966 and was RTE television's flagship current affairs programme for ten years. The programme's young production team was made up of producer Lelia Doolan, directors Eoghan Harris and Dick Hill, and reporters John O'Donoghue, Brian Cleeve and Brian Farrell.

Muiris Mac Conghail became producer of '7 Days' in 1967 when the programme was merged with another current affairs programme, 'Division'.

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