The RUC strongly rejected claims by the former Mid-Ulster Westminster MP, Miss Bernadette Devlin (now McAliskey) that the police had deliberately led the People's Democracy marchers on the famous 'Long March' from Belfast to Derry into an ambush at Burntollet.
The march, modelled on the Selma-Montgomery march in Alabama in 1966, had grown to several hundred strong when it was attacked by about two hundred loyalists at Burntollet bridge, near Derry.
The attackers, including off-duty members of the Ulster Special Constabulary, used stones, bottles and iron bars to attack the demonstrators; thirteen received hospital treatment while the entry of the bloodied marchers into Derry was to lead to further conflict.
The brutal attack and Miss Devlin's allegations were the subject of a memo from Inspector Bill Meharg, a senior officer at RUC Headquarters in Belfast, to Mr J E Greeves, an official at the Ministry of Home Affairs on February 19, 1969. Meharg wrote: 'It is entirely wrong for Miss Devlin to imply that the marchers were deliberately led by the police into an ambush at Burntollet. The main organisers of the march were informed by the police before they reached Burntollet of the dangers they might encounter. Michael Farrell, one of the organisers, using a loud hailer, addressed the marchers and told them of the dangers ahead. Notwithstanding this warning, it was unanimously agreed to continue the march as planned. At that time there would have been about six hundred in the march and it was evident that they were prepared to protest despite police warning.
'Two police Land Rovers were in front of the procession. The occupants of both vehicles dismounted and took up position at the head of the parade. Police flanked the marchers on the left side. Other police were placed near the bridge and in a nearby field. A group of civilians, who were opposed to the marchers, attempted to block the roadway. There was no great strength in this group which broke up and dispersed as the police vehicles moved forward. At this stage, police and marchers were subjected to a fusillade of missiles from counter-demonstrators who occupied fields on the right hand side of the marchers. The front of the parade got through without difficulty. The weight of the attack increased considerably. Counter-demonstrators were now occupying fields on both sides of the road. A petrol bomb exploded near the rear of the marchers. This created confusion and panic among the marchers, many of whom ran off in various directions. Police assisted in marshalling whatever marchers were on the road and getting them on the way towards Londonderry.'
In Meharg's view, it was wrong for Miss Devlin to allege that the front line of the police had run through the barrage of stones when they should have stayed behind to protect the marchers.' As soon as active opposition was encountered at Burntollet, the occupants of two police tenders had dismounted and 'gave all the assistance possible' to the civil rights personnel.
Later that evening, members of the RUC entered the Bogside and, in the words of the Cameron Commission, 'were guilty of misconduct which involved assault and battery, malicious damage to property … and the use of provocative sectarian and political slogans.'