Residents of Hooker Street in Belfast meet and march on the police station seeking protection.
Several Catholic families in the Hooker Street area of Belfast received threats that their homes in Louisa Street, Byron Street and Cromwell Street would be burned out if they did not leave.
A large group of residents hold an hour-long street corner meeting in Hooker Street. One of the speakers is Arthur Robins who left his home at Byron Street where he has lived for 18 months with his wife and two children.
He describes how a bonfire was built on the entry to his property around the time of the Twelfth of July. He made a statement to the police, which they denied occurred. Subsequently,
I was told on my corner that I would be shot if I made any more statements to the police, they told me that they'd burn me out of the house.
Angry residents march to the local police station to outline their grievances about the lack of police protection during the recent disturbances in the area.
The police agree to meet with a group of representatives which includes Vivian Simpson, the Northern Ireland Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for the area. Following the meeting, one of the attendees describes what happened.
They asked for police protection for Catholic families in the area surrounding Oldpark. The police replied they had been giving all the protection necessary in such cases and would continue to do so.
But we know different, that people has went and asked for protection and haven’t got it.
She cites examples of people allegedly under police protection whose windows were broken,
It’s very hard to take their word for it now isn’t it?
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 19 July 1969.
