Ulster Protestant Action facts for kids

Ulster Protestant Action (UPA) was a group in Northern Ireland that started in 1956. It was made up of people who supported Ulster loyalist ideas and strong Protestant beliefs. They acted like a neighborhood watch group. In 1966, the UPA changed its name to the Protestant Unionist Party.

Starting the Group

The Ulster Protestant Action group began at a special meeting in 1956. This meeting happened at the offices of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in Belfast. Many important loyalist figures from the 1960s and 1970s were there. These included Ian Paisley and Desmond Boal. Another politician, Norman Porter, also attended but did not join the group.

The main reason for starting the UPA was to protect Protestant areas. They were worried about possible actions from the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The UPA wanted to organize patrols and set up barriers in streets. They also made lists of people they thought might be involved with the IRA.

Changing Goals

Even though the IRA did not cause trouble in Belfast, the Ulster Protestant Action group continued. The IRA's activities were mostly limited to areas near the border. The UPA started forming groups in factories and workplaces. Ian Paisley even had his own group in the Ravenhill area of Belfast.

The UPA's focus began to shift. They became more interested in protecting "Bible Protestantism." This meant defending their religious beliefs. They also focused on making sure Protestants had fair chances for jobs and housing.

Entering Politics

At first, the UPA did not want professional politicians in their group. But they soon decided to get involved in politics. In the 1958 election, the UPA supported Albert Duff. He was a former Belfast City Councillor. Duff ran against Brian Maginess in the Iveagh area.

Maginess was seen as being friendly towards Catholics. He had even stopped an Orange Order parade in 1952. Albert Duff did not win the election, but he got a lot of votes. Later in 1958, Duff won a seat on the Belfast City Council. Another UPA member, Charles McCullough, also won a seat. In 1960, Desmond Boal became a politician for the UUP in Belfast.

Disagreement with Ian Paisley

As time went on, Ian Paisley became a very strong leader in Ulster Protestant Action. He started getting into trouble with the law for things he said in public. In 1959, a large protest happened in Belfast after Paisley spoke.

Paisley wanted to create his own Protestant political party. This caused some disagreements within the UPA. His supporters then formed their own special branch of the UPA. This helped them gain more control over the group.

Campaign Against Terence O'Neill

In the 1960s, Paisley and the UPA strongly opposed the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence O'Neill. O'Neill wanted to improve relations with the Republic of Ireland. He even met with the Irish leader, Seán Lemass.

The UPA also did not like O'Neill's efforts to give more civil rights to the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland. They were especially against changing how local elections were set up. In 1964, Paisley demanded that the police remove an Irish Tricolour flag from a Sinn Féin office in Belfast. When the police did this, it led to two days of protests. After these events, Albert Duff and James McCarroll were elected to Belfast City Council for the UPA. In 1966, the Ulster Protestant Action group officially changed its name to the Protestant Unionist Party.