 The Derry Housing Action Committee ( DHAC ) was formed in March 1968 by members of the Derry Branch of the Northern Ireland Labour Party and the James Connolly Republican Club , including Eamonn McCann and Eamon Melaugh . It disrupted a meeting of Londonderry Corporation in March 1968 and in May blocked traffic by placing a caravan that was home to a family of four in the middle of the Lecky Road in the Bogside and staging a sit @-@ down protest at the opening of the second deck of the Craigavon Bridge . After the meeting of Londonderry Corporation was again disrupted in August , Eamon Melaugh telephoned the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association ( NICRA ) and invited them to hold a march in Derry . The date chosen was 5 October 1968 , an adhoc committee was formed ( although in reality most of the organizing was done by McCann and Melaugh ) and the route was to take the marchers inside the city walls , where nationalists were traditionally not permitted to march . The Minister of Home Affairs , William Craig , made an order on 3 October prohibiting the march on the grounds that the Apprentice Boys of Derry were intending to hold a march on the same day . In the words of Martin Melaugh of CAIN " this particular tactic ... provided the excuse needed to ban the march . " When the marchers attempted to defy the ban on 5 October they were stopped by a Royal Ulster Constabulary ( RUC ) cordon . The police drew their batons and struck marchers , including Stormont MP Eddie McAteer and Westminster MP Gerry Fitt . Subsequently the police " broke ranks and used their batons indiscriminately on people in Duke Street " . Marchers trying to escape met another party of police and " these police also used their batons indiscriminately . " Water cannons were also used . The police action caused outrage in the nationalist area of Derry , and at a meeting four days later the Derry Citizens ' Action Committee ( DCAC ) was formed , with John Hume as chairman and Ivan Cooper as vice @-@ chairman . 
 The Derry Housing Action Committee ( DHAC ) was formed in March 1968 by members of the Derry Branch of the Northern Ireland Labour Party and the James Connolly Republican Club , including Eamonn McCann and Eamon Melaugh . It disrupted a meeting of Londonderry Corporation in March 1968 and in May blocked traffic by placing a caravan <a href='null_relcl' title='1'><mark>that</mark></a>was home to a family of four in the middle of the Lecky Road in the Bogside and staging a sit @-@ down protest at the opening of the second deck of the Craigavon Bridge . After the meeting of Londonderry Corporation was again disrupted in August , Eamon Melaugh telephoned the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association ( NICRA ) and invited them to hold a march in Derry . The date chosen was 5 October 1968 , an adhoc committee was formed ( although in reality most of the organizing was done by McCann and Melaugh ) and the route was to take the marchers inside the city walls , where nationalists <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> traditionally not permitted to march . The Minister of Home Affairs , William Craig , made an order on 3 October prohibiting the march on the grounds that the Apprentice Boys of Derry <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> intending to hold a march on the same day . In the words of Martin Melaugh of CAIN " this particular tactic ... provided the excuse needed to ban the march . " When the marchers attempted to defy the ban on 5 October they <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> stopped by a Royal Ulster Constabulary ( RUC ) cordon . The police drew their batons and struck marchers , including Stormont MP Eddie McAteer and Westminster MP Gerry Fitt . Subsequently the police " broke ranks and used their batons indiscriminately on people in Duke Street " . Marchers trying to escape met another party of police and " these police also used their batons indiscriminately . " Water cannons <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> also used . The police action caused outrage in the nationalist area of Derry , and at a meeting four days later the Derry Citizens <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'</mark></a>Action Committee ( DCAC ) was formed , with John Hume as chairman and Ivan Cooper as vice @-@ chairman . 
Da Derry Housing Action Committee ( DHAC ) was formed in March 1968 by members of tdaDerry Branch of the Northern Ireland Labour Party and the James Connolly Republican Club , including Eamonn McCann and Eamon Melaugh . It disrupted a meeting of Londonderry Corporation in March 1968 and in May blocked traffic by placing a caravan was home to a family of 4 in the middle of the Lecky Road in the Bogside and staging a sit @-@ dwn protest at the opening of the second deck of the Craigavon Bridge . After the meeting of Londonderry Corporation was again disrupted in August , Eamon Melaugh telephoned thdaorthern Ireland Civil Rights Association ( NICRA ) and invited em to hold a march in Derry . Thedate chosen was 5 October 1968 , an adhoc committee was formed ( although in reality most of the organizing was done by McCann and Melaugh ) and the date was to take the marchers inside the city walls , where nationalists was traditionally not permitted to march . The Mdaster of Home Affairs , William Craig , made an order on 3 October prohibiting the march on the grounds that the Apprentice Boys of Derry was intending to hold a march on the same day . In the words of Martin Melaugh of CAIN " this particular tactic ... provided the excuse needed to ban the march . " When the madaers attempted to defy the ban on 5 October they was stopped by a Royal Ulster Constabulary ( RUC ) cordon . The police drew their batons and struck marchers , including Stormont MP Eddie McAteer and Westminster MP Gerry Fitt . Subsequently the police " broke ranks and used their batons indiscriminately on people in Duke Street " . Marchers tryna escape met another party of police and " these police also used their batons indiscriminately . " Water cannons was also used . The polda action caused outrage in the nationalist area of Derry , and at a meeting fou4yz later the Derry Citizens  Action Committee ( DCAC ) was formed , wid John Hume as chairman and cj Cooper as vice @-@ chairman .