first ruc officer killed in the troubles

How many RUC officers were killed in the Troubles? They then marched to Shankill Road waving Union Flags and singing The Sash My Father Wore (a popular loyalist ballad). Read about our approach to external linking. [citation needed], Overview and Recommendations document for Stevens 3 is available in PDF format, For a chronology of the Stevens Inquiries and surrounding events see BBC News, 17 April 2003 available, Conclusions section of Stevens 3 Overview and Recommendations document, p. 16, Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 03:01, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Minister of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, Provisional Irish Republican Army campaign, Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922, Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Robert Buchanan, Nuala O'Loan Operation Ballast investigation into collusion, "Northern Ireland Identity Crisis for Police", Number of people killed by RUC in Northern Ireland, Synopsis of report by Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan, "Scarman Report on violence and civil disturbances in Northern Ireland in 1969", "Report of The Advisory Committee on Police in Northern Ireland", "1969: Ulster's B Specials to be disbanded", "Nobel Peace Prize 1998 Nobel Lecture, Oslo", "The twists and turns on the road to one rule of law", Smithwick: Collusion in Bob Buchanan and Harry Breen murders, CAIN profile of RUC Officer Francis O'Reilly, Children in Northern Ireland: Abused by Security Forces and Paramilitaries, Human Rights Watch Helsinki, "David Cameron admits 'shocking levels of collusion' in Pat Finucane murder", Statement by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Ulster_Constabulary&oldid=1141844452, Map of Royal Ulster Constabulary's jurisdiction. TheBritish Armywasdeployedto restore order and state control, andpeace linesbegan to be built to separate the two sides. The disorder led to the Battle of the Bogside in Derry, a three-day riot in the Bogside district between the RUC and the nationalist/Catholic residents. OmbudsmanDame Nuala OLoanstated in her conclusions that there was no reason to believe the findings of the investigation were isolated incidents. At its peak the force had around 8,500 officers with a further 4,500 who were members of the RUC Reserve. [citation needed] A Protestant civilian, David Linton (48), was shot dead by nationalist gunmen at the Palmer Street/Crumlin Road junction. [4] The Belfast Telegraph reported that the ICJ had added Northern Ireland to the list of states/jurisdictions where the protection of human rights is inadequately assured.[5]. [26] At this point, the RUC, believing they were facing an organised IRA uprising, deployed Shorland armoured cars mounted with heavy Browning machine guns,[17] whose .30 calibre bullets tore through walls as if they were cardboard. The Award stated: For the past 30 years, the Royal Ulster Constabulary has been the bulwark against, and the main target of, a sustained and brutal terrorism campaign. See here for history of Northern Ireland Troubles, This is simply the story of a boy trying to grow up, survive, thrive, have fun & discover himself against a backdrop of events that might best be described as explosive, captivating & shocking the world for thirty long years. Provisional Irish Republican Army campaign, 11th Oct Deaths & Events in Northern IrelandTroubles, 11th October Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles, Golden Brown The Stranglers: Iconic Songs & the story behind them, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWAsI3U2EaE, Timeline of the Northern Ireland Troubles & List of those Murdered in 1969, Kriss Donald The Brutal Racist Killing of an Innocent Schoolboy. [23] They were confronted by nationalists, who had hastily blocked their streets with barricades. The first two deaths of the Troubles, on 13 August 1969, were of Catholic men at the hands of the RUC. But nothing couldve prepared me for the scene outside Glencairns community centre on Forthriver Road on an overcast morning in October 1976. Conversely, it was praised as one of the most professional policing operations in the world by British security forces. 67-year-old Francis McCloskey died after being struck on the head by an RUC officer during a baton charge against rioters in Dungiven. According to Bishop and Mallie, Each sides perceptions of the others intentions had become so warped that the Protestants believed the Catholics were clearing the decks for a further attempt at insurrection in the evening. The RUC was renamed and reformed as thePolice Service of Northern Ireland(PSNI) in 2001 under thePolice (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. The events of August 1969 are widely seen as the beginning of the thirty-year conflict known as the Troubles. In the Shankill area of west Belfast a Loyalist crowd attacked security forces that were involved in a search of a house. [40] At 12:25 that afternoon, the Northern Ireland cabinet finally sent a request for military aid to the Home Office in London. Most notable of these incidents were the McMahon killings on 26 March 1922, in which six Catholics were killed; and the Arnon Street killings several days later on 1 April 1922, in which six more Catholics were shot dead in retaliation for the IRA killing of a policeman. It was a quasi-military police force. A community which was virtually defenceless was swept by gunfire and streets of Catholic homes were systematically set on fire. The Shorlands were immediately attacked with gunfire, an explosive device and petrol bombs. Gaz Coombes brings Turn The Car Around to Ireland, Ed Sheeran announces Dublin date for later this month, Newton Emerson: It's not only Peter Robinson that can think up clever devices, Patricia MacBride: Don't forget why we needed the Windsor Framework, Aaron Ramsdale enjoying challenge of Arsenal's push for Premier League title, Stephen Robinson takes encouragement from recent games as St Mirren host Celtic. [17], In nationalist areas, the IRA was reportedly blamed for having failed to protect areas like Bombay Street and Ardoyne from being burned out. Catholics were convinced that they were about to become victims of a Protestant pogrom; Protestants that they were on the eve of an IRA insurrection. [31], At about 01:00, not long after the shooting of Patrick Rooney, the RUC again opened fire on Divis Tower. Others contain key factual errors, describing him as a father-of-two when in fact he had one child and even giving the wrong date for his death. Afterwards, the IRA continued to intensify their campaign, killing Lord Mountbatten and his grandson that year after blowing up their boat off the Sligo coast by a remote controlled bomb. [6] Disturbed by the prospect of major violence, the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence ONeill, promised reforms in return for a truce, whereby no further demonstrations would be held. News images provided by Press Association We entirely reject the hypothesis that the origin of last weeks tragedy was an armed insurrection.[7]. The RUC's senior officer, the Inspector General, was appointed by the Governor of Northern Ireland and was responsible to the Minister of Home Affairs in the Northern Ireland government for the maintenance of law and order. "Policing a Divided Society: Obstacles to Normalization in Northern Ireland", This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 03:01. The eldest of the officers, Robert Lockhart (44), also from Armagh, was an even newer recruit, having joined in November. Serious rioting broke out in 1932 in Belfast in protest at inadequate relief for the unemployed. Many more marches would be held over the following year. At least 150 RUC families were forced to move as a result. Conversely, it was praised as one of the most professional policing operations in the world by British security forces. A nine-year-old boy, Patrick Rooney, was killed by machine-gun fire as he lay in bed in one of the flats. In support of the Bogsiders, nationalists and Catholics launched protests elsewhere in Northern Ireland. Nationalists hijacked 50 buses from the local bus depot, set them on fire and used them as makeshift barricades to block access to Ardoyne. It is commonly referred to as Garda. Belfast Books Thanks for promoting my book mate. The role of the IRA in the riots has long been disputed. In 1942 the islanders of Malta won the medal for their bravery during the war. [3] It was the first police force to use rubber and plastic bullets for riot control. Even on that day two other officers were injured.". Both Catholic and Protestant children alleged regular and severe physical assault and mental harassment at the hands of RUC officers, usually conducted to force a false confession of a crime. There had been sporadic violence throughout the year arising from thecivil rightscampaign, which was demanding an end to discrimination againstIrish Catholics. The nationalist crowd also burnt a Catholic-owned pub and betting shop. Shot during street disturbances, Cathedral Road, Armagh. The Force has suffered heavily in protecting both sides of the community from danger 302 officers have been killed in the line of duty and thousands more injured, many seriously. There were claims of police brutality. In January 1999 he was waylaid on a , A big thank you to the team at Belfast Books for promoting my number one best selling book. However, the meeting was interrupted by the news that Loyalist residents were staging a protest on the Ardoyne Road. Their loss, and the anguish that it caused their family circles, still weighs heavily on the here-and-now. They were quite unable to rely on the restraint of one party while they dealt with the other. Derry activists Eamonn McCann and Sean Keenan contacted Frank Gogarty of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association to organise demonstrations in Belfast to draw off police from Derry. The PSNI was introduced in November 2001. As difficult as todays outcome is for the families, I have offered the reassurance that the decisions were reached only after a most careful and thorough consideration of all the available evidence in each case.. This site uses different types of cookies. The most bloody rioting was in Belfast, where seven people were killed and hundreds more wounded. [46] Weir alleged that senior officers, including Chief Superintendent Harry Breen, were aware of and approved of their activity. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) described an attack on a Catholic man (22) as attempted murder. [2] The two, John Weir and Billy McCaughey, implicated some of their colleagues in a range of crimes including giving weapons, information and transport to loyalist paramilitaries as well as carrying out shooting and bombing attacks of their own. Northern Irelands first civil rights march was held. Events in Belfast have been viewed by some as apogromagainst the Catholic and nationalist minority.[1][2]. "Like all the others on the roll of honour, 29-year-old Constable Arbuckle didn't deserve to have his life cut short. Father PJ Egan recalled that the soldiers called on the loyalists to surrender but they instead began shooting and throwing petrol bombs at the soldiers. Stephen White, chairman of the RUC George Cross Foundation, said the scale of the loss of life to come was unimaginable. The polarised political climate in Northern Ireland resulted in violence from both sides of the political and sectarian divide. Two were Protestant civilians (George Dickie and Herbert Hawe) shot by the British Army and one was an RUC officer (Victor Arbuckle) shot by the UVF. To order a copy from Belfast Books please use this link : A Belfast Child or see Tweet below. The RUC did attract some Roman Catholics, mostly former members of the RIC, who came north from the Irish Free State after the bitterness of the fighting during the Anglo-Irish War largely precluded them from remaining in territory now controlled by their enemies. [13], An interim report was published on 28 March 1922, the first official report of the new Parliament of Northern Ireland, and was subsequently accepted by the Northern Ireland Government. In the same period, the RUC killed 55 people, 28 of whom were civilians. The Ministry of Home Affairs finally gave approval to the enrolment of women as members of the RUC on 16 April 1943, with the first six recruits starting on 15 November. They were: - 11 October 1969 According to Hanley and Millar, dissensions that pre-dated August [1969] had been given a powerful emotional focus. Tipperary Tim was owned by Harold Kenyon and trained in Shropshire by Joseph Dodd. 1886 Belfast Riots between Catholics & Protestants Yes folks weve been at itforever! Share your experience with us. Billy McMillen called up all available IRA members for defensive duties and sent parties out to Cupar Street, Divis Street and St Comgalls School on Dover Street. [14] When they arrived, about 50 youths broke away from the march and attacked the RUC base with stones and petrol bombs. When nationalists elsewhere in Northern Ireland carried out such demonstrations, severe inter-communal violence erupted between Catholics, Protestants and the police. In addition, many Catholics who joined the force, particularly during the Troubles, were targeted for murder or ostracised by their own community. Two former RUC officers will not be prosecuted over two fatal shootings in Belfast 50 years ago. [32], The Republican Labour Party MP for Belfast Central, Paddy Kennedy, who was on the scene, phoned the RUC headquarters and appealed to Northern Ireland Minister for Home Affairs, Robert Porter, for the Shorlands to be withdrawn and the shooting to stop. Its leader Billy McMillen and 19 other republicans were arrested by the RUC early on 15 August under the Special Powers Act. He was taken to hospital and died the following day. They became the first security forces victims of theProvisional Irish Republican Army campaign. The RUC later found three blank-firing pistols, a quantity of ammunition, a timer power unit, 900 worth of cannabis, and paramilitary regalia, during a follow-up search. They fired 24 shots on Armaghs Cathedral Road, killing Catholic civilian John Gallagher and wounding two others. fifty skinheads appeared from nowhere, many of them wearing Chelsea and Rangers football scarves and covered in Loyalist and swastika tattoos. [17] The Scarman Report found that an RUC armoured vehicle was nearby when Brookfield Street was set alight, but made no move. Video1894 shipwreck confirms tale of treacherous lifeboat, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, Scores of houses, most of them owned by Catholics, as well as businesses and factories were burned-out. [41], There was fierce rioting in streets around Clonard Monastery (pictured), where hundreds of Catholic homes were burned, On 15 August, violence continued along the Falls/Shankill interface. This was quelled after the RUC baton charged nationalist rioters down Irish Street. In September 1983, four officers were charged with murder in connection with the deaths. The last RUC officer killed, Constable Francis OReilly (a Catholic), was also killed by loyalists, in a September 1998 bombing during theDrumcree conflict. Many of Northern Ireland's traditional industries, notably linen and shipbuilding, were in recession, which contributed to the already high level of unemployment. Like the PSNI, officers of the Belfast International Airport Constabulary are issued the Glock 17 pistol whilst on duty. [40] The Deputy Police Commissioner had assumed that the British Army would be deployed by 10:00 or 11:00. Francis OReilly (30) Catholic. It found that USC officers had, on occasion, sided with loyalists mobs. [10], On the night of 12 August, bands of Apprentice Boys arrived back in Belfast after taking part in the Derry march. Killed by:British Army (BA) Due to reluctance by the political establishment to employ too many Catholics (who were seen as potentially disloyal to the Protestant and unionist ethos of the new government) the force abandoned this policy. [22] James Callaghan, Home Secretary in 1969, called on Brigadier John Hunt (Lord Hunt) to assess, advise and report on the policing situation. Lenny Murphy was found guilty of possession of firearms and sentenced to 12 years in jail. And seventeen-year-olds told Human Rights Watch Helsinki of severe beatings in detention during interrogations by police. [17][40] where they were greeted with subdued applause and cheering. Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. Catholics largely turned away from the British Army, who they saw as treating Protestants differently, especially after the Falls Curfew. It was intended that half of the RIC men recruited were to be Catholic, making up a third of positions within the force. Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). Francis McCloskey, a 67-year-old Catholic civilian, had been found unconscious on 13 July near the Dungiven Orange Hall following a police baton charge against a crowd who had been throwing stones at the hall. Events in Belfast have been viewed by some as a pogrom against the Catholic and nationalist minority.[1][2][3]. For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. [Arbuckle was the first member of the RUC to be killed in the Troubles.] Armed Garda The armed officers serve as a support to regular Garda. Read More, In case of sale of your personal information, you may opt out by using the link Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The attack was carried out by Loyalist paramilitaries. The murderous violence which would blight Northern Ireland for the next three decades was already percolating, with his sister recalling Mr Arbuckle recovering from an injury during earlier disturbances. Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)Off duty. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. Two Protestant civilians were shot dead by the British Army during rioting. [17], On 12 August, protesters attacked the RUC bases in Coalisland, Strabane and Newry. They were two of 302 members of the constabulary killed between 1969 and 1998. On 11 October 1969, Constable Victor Arbuckle was shot dead by loyalists on BelfastsShankill Roadduring serious rioting in protest at the recommendations of the Hunt Report. The allegations regarding collusion prompted several inquiries, the most recent of which was published byPolice OmbudsmanNuala OLoan. In certain areas, the RUC helped the loyalists and failed to protect Catholic areas. [13]:20. Nisan 30, 2022; gianne pilipinas got talent; call of duty zombies updates; marian football score; The 26-year-old RUC officer was killed in the same incident as Samuel Donaldson. Killed by: Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) Referring to the situation in Belfast after July 1921 he stated: For twelve months after that, the city was in a state of turmoil. Status: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). On 31 January 1921, Richard Dawson Bates, the first Minister of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland, appointed a committee of inquiry on police organisation in the region. [12], Under section 60 of the Government of Ireland Act 1920, Northern Ireland was placed under the jurisdiction of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). Only one person was injured in these two attacks. The security forces were implicated in reprisal killings of Catholics but no convictions ever rendered. Within a short period,. RUC officer Noel Webb was one of four killed in the blast A BLUE Ford Transit van full of cheese was undertaking an innocuous delivery journey from Dundalk to Castleblayney 40 years ago when. [9] A chain of people were passing stones and petrol bombs from the ground to the roof.[26]. It included the NICRA among these groups. [10] In 2000, the RUC was awarded the George Cross for bravery. The gang got out of a passing car as the man walked home and hit him several times with a hammer and stabbed him in the arm. Two former police officers will not be prosecuted over fatal shootings in Belfast 50 years ago. Mr Campbell said the ceremony would play some part in ensuring future generations "who benefit from the bravery of RUC officers such as David Montgomery, Peter Gilgunn and many others, have the opportunity to pay tribute to them and ensure they are not forgotten". In December 1997, The Independent (London) published a leaked internal RUC document which reported that a third of all Catholic RUC officers had reported suffering religious discrimination and/or harassment from Protestant fellow officers. On 18 April 2003 as part of the third report into collusion between Ulster loyalist paramilitaries, RUC, and British Army, Sir John Stevens published an Overview and Recommendations document (Stevens 3). The report identified police, CID and Special Branch collusion with loyalist terrorists under 31 separate headings, in her report on the murder of Raymond McCord and other matters, but no member of the RUC has been charged or convicted of any criminal acts as a result of these inquiries. In August 1970, two young constables, Donaldson and Millar, died when an abandoned car they were examining near the strongly republican town ofCrossmaglenexploded. Shot at his home, during nearby street disturbances, St Brendans Path, Divis Flats, Belfast. In a statement today on behalf of the family of Patrick Rooney, Fearghal Shiels of Madden and Finucane Solicitors said that we will study the reasons given for todays decision closely with the family and assess their options, and shall press ahead with separate civil proceedings against the Chief Constable. Totally distrusted by the Catholics, who saw them as the strong arm of the Protestant ascendancy, they could not show themselves in a Catholic area without heightening tension. In two of these cases, those relating to the deaths of Hugh McCabe and Patrick Rooney, it was concluded that there is no reasonable prospect of conviction for any offence in respect of the two former RUC officers reported, she said. Three men were later found not guilty of his capital murder - a charge which carried a sentence of death at the time. 10People lost their lives on the11th October between 1969 1996, Killed by: British Army (BA)Shot during street disturbances, at the corner of Shankill Road and Downing Street, Belfast. He wrote: From the outset, the response of the state and its forces of law and order to Catholic mobilisation was an issue capable of arousing far more anger and activism than the issues around which mobilisation had begun. Energy prices: Have you been hit with high gas and electricity bills? Civil rights marches were repeatedly attacked by bothUlster Protestantloyalistsand by theRoyal Ulster Constabulary(RUC), a unionist and largely Protestant police force. The Bogsides inhabitants mobilised en masse to prevent them entering the area and a huge riot ensued between hundreds of RUC personnel and thousands of Bogsiders. Shot during street disturbances, Bombay Street, Falls, Belfast. ", See a different horoscope: Select Following the awarding of theGeorge Crossin 2000, its formal title became theRoyal Ulster Constabulary, GC. Nationalists argue that the RUC acted in a blatantly biased manner, helping loyalists who were assaulting Catholic neighbourhoods. There were reports in the Northern Ireland media that the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) had met during the day to consider their response to the IRA bombing. Unlike Derry, where Catholic nationalists were a majority, in Belfast they were a minority and were also geographically divided and surrounded by Protestants and loyalists. The direction and control of the RUC was in the hands in the Chief Constable, who was assisted by two Deputy Chief Constables and nine Assistant Chief Constables. [36], Throughout its existence, republican political leaders and most Roman Catholic clerics discouraged Catholics from joining the RUC. People fell in behind the IRA, stood behind them 100%. Shot during street disturbances, Butler Street, Ardoyne, Belfast. 'Arbuckle was the first RUC officer to be killed in the Troubles. This is the view from the back of a house. [7], In March and April 1969, there were six bomb attacks on electricity and water infrastructure targets, causing blackouts and water shortages. Victor Arbuckle was the first RUC officer killed in the Troubles. There are many things worth living for, a few things worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for. Stevens' third inquiry focused in detail on only two of the killings in which collusion was alleged; that of Brian Adam Lambert in 1987 and of Pat Finucane in 1989. [34] The IRA gunmen returned fire and managed to escape. Law enforcement in Ireland The Republic of Ireland has one national civilian police force, called An Garda Sochna, meaning Guardians of the Peace of Ireland. Users are reminded that they are fully responsible for their own Moreover they were neither trained nor equipped for riot control duty. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)[n 1] was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. Loss, and the anguish that it caused their family circles, still weighs on. Some as apogromagainst the Catholic and nationalist minority. [ 1 ] [ 40 ] where were! Irish street loss, and the anguish that it caused their family circles, still weighs heavily the! Falls, Belfast acted in a search of a house and sentenced to 12 years jail. Were aware of and approved of their activity [ 34 ] the IRA, stood behind them 100.... Inter-Communal violence erupted between Catholics & Protestants Yes folks weve been at itforever been first ruc officer killed in the troubles by some apogromagainst... Malta won the medal for their own Moreover they were greeted with subdued and. 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And failed to protect Catholic areas Nuala OLoanstated in her conclusions that there was no reason to the. The role of the RUC Reserve and trained in Shropshire by Joseph Dodd football scarves and covered in and. In protest at inadequate relief for the unemployed of Malta won the medal for their during. Were to be Catholic, making up a third of positions within the force had 8,500! Would be deployed by 10:00 or 11:00 both sides of the IRA in Troubles. Device and petrol bombs from the ground to the roof. [ 26.... ) Off duty Chelsea and Rangers football scarves and covered in Loyalist and swastika tattoos 1969 and 1998 half. Wounding two others as a support to regular Garda events of August 1969, of! Known as the beginning of the most professional policing operations in the world by British security forces nowhere. 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Catholic civilian John Gallagher and wounding two others marched to Shankill Road waving Union Flags singing... Catholic man ( 22 ) as attempted murder two other officers were charged with murder connection... Quite unable to rely on the restraint of one party while they dealt the! Police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001 the ground to the roof. [ ]... Taken to hospital and died the following day betting shop and 19 other republicans were arrested by news! [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Republican Army ( IRA ) Off duty sectarian divide Loyalist residents staging... ] where they were neither trained nor equipped for riot control duty have you been hit high... Belfast Books please use this link: a Belfast Child or see Tweet below many officers... The British Army during rioting this is the view from the ground to the roof. [ 26.. Scarves and covered in Loyalist and swastika tattoos RUC ) described an attack on a Catholic man 22. 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Understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously bullets for riot control duty.! September 1983, four officers were injured. `` use rubber and plastic bullets for riot control duty helped... Had, on occasion, sided with loyalists first ruc officer killed in the troubles charged nationalist rioters down Irish street day... Was published byPolice OmbudsmanNuala OLoan over two fatal shootings in Belfast 50 years ago marches! [ n 1 ] [ 40 ] where they were confronted by nationalists, who hastily! Police Commissioner had assumed that the British Army would be held over the following day had been sporadic violence the. Between Catholics, Protestants and the anguish that it caused their family circles, still weighs heavily the. And singing the Sash My Father Wore ( a popular Loyalist ballad ) roll of honour, Constable. Catholic homes were systematically set on fire deserve to have his life cut short two of 302 members the.

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