Sinn Fein accused of attempting to 'rewrite history'

Former Fine Gael Presidential candidate, Mr Austin Currie, has criticised Sinn Féin for staging a march on Saturday marking the…

Former Fine Gael Presidential candidate, Mr Austin Currie, has criticised Sinn Féin for staging a march on Saturday marking the 35th anniversary of a famous Catholic civil rights march in Co Tyrone.

Attended by more than 500 people, the march between Dungannon and Coalisland was organised to highlight the cancellation of Assembly Elections in Northern Ireland in May.

Mr Currie, founder member of the SDLP, told BBC Radio Ulster yesterday: "I have to say for an organisation like Sinn Féin, linked as it is to a paramilitary organisation which has been responsible for over 2,000 deaths, to seek to draw parallels with the civil rights movement is, in my opinion, rank hypocrisy, opportunism and an attempt to rewrite history."

The 1968 march, by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, was a landmark event in the province.

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The association campaigned for one man, one vote, an end to discrimination against Catholics by public authorities, an end to gerrymandering of council areas in favour of unionists and a fairer allocation of public housing.

Sinn Féin councillor, Mr Francie Molloy, claimed the issue of people being allowed to "exercise their democratic right to vote" was still as relevant in Northern Ireland today as it was 35 years ago, following the cancellation in May of Assembly elections by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Among those taking part in the march were Mr Molloy, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, Sinn Féin national chairman, Mr Barry McElduff, former West Tyrone MLA and Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition spokesman, Mr Breandan Mac Cionnaith.