A prominent civil rights campaigner, he expresses his determination to see sectarianism smashed. He says that there is a genuine desire amongst Catholics in the Mid-Derry area to smash sectarianism and thereby bridge the gap between Catholic and Protestant communities. Cooper argues that his campaign was based on equal rights and equal opportunities, which he intends to fight for in Stormont. Cooper also wants to show each and every protestant in Mid-Derry that he represents all people irrespective of creed or class.

A RTÉ News interview with Ivan Cooper following his election to Stormont broadcast on 25 February 1969.

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