David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

Army “should deal toughly, and be seen
to deal toughly, with thugs and gunmen.”
On June 30, 1970, the British Army
received a tip. There were explosives
and weapons hidden in a house at 24
Balkan Street in the Lower Falls, they
were told. Freeland immediately
dispatched five armored cars filled with
soldiers and police officers. A search of
the house turned up a cache of guns and
ammunition. Outside, a crowd gathered.
Someone started throwing stones. Stones
turned into petrol bombs. A riot started.
By ten p.m. the British had had enough.
An army helicopter armed with a
loudspeaker circled the Lower Falls,
demanding that all residents stay inside
their homes or face arrest. As the streets