The RUC acted horrible by attacking the protesters and blasting innocent bystanders with their water cannon, this act of violence severely damaged the Catholic respect for the RUC, people stopped obeying them and more fights broke out afterward.
After the Craigavon Bridge incident, the Stormont officials were persuaded by the British government to make new laws and change the way houses and jobs were allocated, the Catholics were lightly pleased but this small change came way too late for much to change. Catholics were still bitter.
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) made sure more and more protests took place and they planned to demonstrate peacefully and get out of the way of the RUC. They made another petition against Stormont in Jan 1969 at Burntollet Bridge, this was organised by an extreme wing of the Northern Irish Civil Rights Association. The protest was planned to go through some extremely Protestant areas, which some Catholics tried to prohibit. On the 4th of January, whilst approaching Londonderry, they crossed the Burntollet Bridge the route planned to get into Londonderry.
The demonstrators were met by a Unionist mob who were equipped with crude riot weapons such as stones and bottles. The protesters were unarmed and unprotected. The RUC made no effort to look after the NICRA members and some even joined in the attack. After the march, no Unionists were arrested and yet 80 Marchers were put in jail. Also in the attack were off-duty RUC Members and B-Specials. B-Specials were a more extreme branch of the RUC; these people also joined in the mob and harmed demonstrators.
Catholics fell dumbstruck, they now understood that they had absolutely no support and no protection against the B-Specials and RUC and even their everyday lives became unprotected, no one would listen anymore.
Burntollet Bridge made Britain stand up and take notice once more as cameras caught this incident as a whole and once more, was broadcast to the whole of England. Then one last matter made England turn its head, the Battle of the Bogside. This was sparked off this time by the Apprentice Boys March. This celebrated the victory of the citizens of Londonderry against the forces of James II. The march went ahead as usual, as they passed through a Catholic side of town, some of them threw pennies, which was an old joke that they were poor. Riots broke out, rocks, stones, bottles and even petrol bombs were thrown and many people were hurt. Prior to the march, Bogsiders had placed barricades to stop the march and when the RUC tried to removes these blocks the Catholics lashed out and injured RUC members. B-Specials were called in and the fighting escalated into a long-lasting battle between Protestants and Catholics.
The battle of Bogside the main reason Britain sent troops into Northern Ireland. The government in England saw the risk of a full-blown civil war in Ireland and decided that this would damage Economic properties in England. They sent troops in to Bogside and all the other places where fights had broken out and they protected both communities from damaged.
One more reason that Britain sent the troops in was that the British intelligence thought that the IRA was gaining quick influence and power but in reality, the IRA was growing weaker in the light of British troops and the slow down in Catholic protests.
The main decision to send in the troops was made on the conclusion that both communities in Ireland would see the British Troops as mediators and not biased for or against either side, they would protect both sides of the wall and make sure no one got killed. No more suffering on the side of the Catholic and Protestant people.
