In October 1968, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) police officers baton-charged a civil rights demonstration in Derry. Television pictures of this event were shown around the world and this made people interested in the situation in Northern Ireland.
During the 1960s and 1970s, there were many disturbances on the streets of cities such as Belfast and Derry. There was also much violence. Mobs sometimes attacked certain areas, and families were burned out of their homes. The RUC police force found that they were not able to keep control. However, many Catholics felt they were not doing enough to protect Catholic areas.
In August 1968, the British Army was sent in to keep the fighting groups apart. It was hoped that the troops would bring order back to the North of Ireland. At first, they did bring some order and the troops were welcomed by Catholic groups in the beginning. However, from the late 1960s, there were many murders, disturbances and bombings in the North of Ireland.