the Battle of Orgreave,

TURNING POINT
What was the Battle of Orgreave, when did it happen and how did it influence the miners’ strike?
Home Secretary Amber Rudd has ruled out an inquiry into the clash that saw 95 miners arrested more injured
By AMANDA DEVLIN
AN inquiry into the so-called Battle of Orgreave during the 1984 miners’ strike has been ruled out by government.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said there was not “sufficient basis” to launch an independent review of the incident at Yorkshire coking site.

Campaigners have always claimed officers led by South Yorkshire Police were “heavy-handed” and important documents destroyed in an alleged cover-up.



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4Police and miners pictured at a demonstration at Orgreave Colliery, South Yorkshire, during the miners’ strike, June 2, 1984
What was the Battle of Orgreave?

Around 6,000 police officers, some in riot gear and horseback, were sent to Orgreave coking plant in Yorkshire after striking miners gathered for a mass picketing.

The violent clash between cops and picketers trying to stop the movement of coke stocks ended in 95 miners being charged with riot or violent disorder.

But the trials collapsed after “unreliable” police accounts.

More than 100 miners were injured and accused police of brutality after charging at them with horses.

Senior South Yorkshire Police officers were said to have dictated statements to junior officers .

They later settled civil court claims from miners for £425,000 while denying any liability.



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4There were 95 miners arrested on the day of the Battle of Orgreave and charged with riot



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4Under fire … miners and their supporters accuse police of brutality after charging them with horses
When did it happen?

The Battle of Orgreave took place on June 18 1984.

The injured miners who were caught up in the violent clash have waited 32 years to be told there will not be an inquiry into what happened.

The decision has been described as a “complete shock and a great disappointment” by Barbara Jackson, secretary of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign.



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4Miners claim the clash had a massive impact on the strike
How did it influence the miners’ strike?

It was a turning point in the miners’ strike because it was the first time police stopped protecting working miners and coking plants and instead broke up crowds and made large scale arrests.

The number of officers called in from around the country was unheard of – and many were dressed in riot gear and were on horseback or holding dogs.

This prompted the miners to believe the government had a large part to play in controlling the strikes.

This has led to a breakdown in trust and future relationships between police and some mining communities affected by the clashes.

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