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Border Demonstrations

01 January 1993

On New Year's day 1993, the Irish National Congress organized twelve demonstrations at various points along the border drawn by Britain to partition Ireland in 1920. This was the day the EC policy of open borders between member states was due to come into effect. Contrary to the Single European Act, however the border is becoming more and more of a physical barrier.

The demonstrations drew attention to three factors. Firstly, in recent years the British government has been spending millions of pounds fortifying the border by means of military bases, checkpoints and surveillance towers. This policy has caused considerable expense and day-to-day inconvenience to people in the border region as well as to long-distance cross-border traffic. The new Killeen checkpoint/military base, for instance, is sited next to a large primary school, forcing its closure in September 1992. There is some debate within military circles as to the value of such fixed installations as counter-terrorist measures.

Secondly, as the Crossmaglen demonstration highlighted, there is growing concern about dangerous levels of radiation being emitted from surveillance equipment along the border. The radiation is believed to be causing increased levels of cancer, brain haemorrhages and other less dramatic illnesses. The EC's petitions committee after receipt of a 10 000 signatures petition, has agreed to an inquiry into the claims.

Thirdly, since the early 1970s, the British army has either blocked off or blown up most of the minor roads which cross the border. This policy has gathered pace in Fermanagh and Tyrone,
but has not been so possible in Armagh.

Over the last five years, local community associations have re- opened some of these roads, some of them with bridges, only to have their work destroyed by the army. The 1991 Emergency Provisions Act contains specific powers to confiscate equipment used in such road openings. Around 500 demonstrators re-built the river crossing at Lackey Bridge near Clones (on the Fermanagh/Monaghan border) and then mounted a four day vigil.