The Derry Housing Action Committee (DHAC), was an organisation formed in 1968 in

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

to protest about housing conditions and provision. The DHAC was formed in February 1968 by two

socialists Socialism is an economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes the economic, political, and socia ...

and four tenants in response to the plight of the homeless and those tenants in the city who suffered under " Rachmanite" landlords. Named after the Dublin Housing Action Committee, the DHAC's initial actions (March 1968) involved disrupting meetings of the Unionist-dominated Londonderry Corporation to protest at the lack of housing provision in the city. The Derry Housing Action Committee and its sister organisation Derry Unemployed Action Committee had many members and supporters from the James Connolly Republican Club, trade unionists and labour party members, amongst its activists were Eamonn Melaugh, Eamonn McCann, Fionnbarra Ó Dochartaigh (Finbar O'Doherty), J.J. O’Hara (brother of hunger striker Patsy O'Hara), Labour activist Gerry Mallet amongst others.DHAC 1968 & 1969
www.nicivilrights.org In May 1968 DHAC held another protest at the Guildhall, Derry and on 22 June staged a protest by blocking the Lecky Road in the Bogside area. After June 1968, when a

caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Campervan, a type of vehicle also known as a motor caravan *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Caravan (trail ...

housing a family of four was dragged along a major road until the family was rehoused, the DHAC's actions became more militant and houses were

squatted Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there wer ...

. On 3 July 1968, as part of a series of protests against housing conditions in Derry, DHAC held a sit-down protest on the newly opened second deck of the Craigavon Bridge in the city. Neil O’Donnell and Roddy O’Carlin were jailed for a month for refusal to keep the peace. On 27 August 1968, DHAC organised another protest in the Guildhall's council chamber. Immediately afterwards Eamonn Melaugh telephoned the

Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA; ) was an organisation that campaigned for civil rights for Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Formed in Belfast on 9 April 1967, Together with NICRA, they organised the 5 October 1968 civil rights demonstration in

, whose banning and violent suppression by the

Royal Ulster Constabulary The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. It was founded on 1 June 1922 as a successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) Richard Doherty, ''The Thin Green Line – The History of the ...

(RUC) was one of the major preludes to the Troubles.

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Further reading