Several hundred people attended a Sinn Fein rally in west Belfast yesterday to commemorate the 29th anniversary of internment.
The crowd was well down on previous years when the annual demonstration would normally attract around 10,000.
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, was present but did not address the rally.
It was chaired by the former "officer commanding" the Provisional IRA prisoners in the H-Blocks, Mr Jim McVeigh.
The rally was addressed by a Sinn Fein Assembly member, Mr Francie Molloy.
He accused the British government of not fulfilling promises made in the Belfast Agreement.
He said there had been no fundamental changes but only "tinkering" in the North since the Provisional IRA's first ceasefire six years ago. He urged London to "live up to its commitments" in terms of demilitarisation and a new police force.
The present policing Bill before the British parliament was a watered-down version of the Patten report, he said. The force which would be created if the Bill remained unchanged was not one which republicans could join or could recommend that others joined.
He claimed Mr Blair and the Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, were being restrained by "the faceless securocrats" who were against any progress which threatened their power.
He urged both men to stand up to "the dogs of war". He said the republican movement was the only organisation which had moved the peace process forward.
Referring to recent loyalist attacks on nationalist homes, Mr Molloy said loyalist paramilitaries obviously were not on ceasefire and were attempting to provoke a nationalist reaction.
He blamed a well-known UDA commander from the Shankill for orchestrating the attacks.
The rally was also addressed by speakers from the Basque Country and the Troops Out Movement in Britain.