Civil Rights marches commemorated

The NI Civil Rights Association is being commemorated

The 40th anniversary of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association's decision to take protests onto the streets is being marked.

A number of those involved at the time have set up the NI Civil Rights Commemoration Committee.

They are organising a series of seminars, exhibitions and conferences to take place over the next few months.

The organisers say it is important to remember the events of 1968 in a "sober and reflective way".

"The things that happened during that pivotal year had a profound effect upon our society, and precipitated an avalanche of change which left no part of our community untouched," the group said.

They said they will "seek to learn from what happened, to consider the significance of the Civil Rights Movement for our society today and the continuing resonance of the issues which it addressed, and the ideals which underpinned it".