The police were all smiles at Unity.

This was not the case at KWRU, where they were prepared for massive arrests.
(I counted some twenty buses like this one.)

The media crush, which was extraordinary, helped prevent this.

In the days before the demo, the police, under Commissioner Timoney, announced that the children of arrested activists would be placed in foster homes while their parents were in jail. The demo was led by activist women with their children, challenging the police to arrest them, and showing that they would not be intimidated. Notice how they held hands, to prevent their children from being snatched away.