#orgreave

Arthur Scargill, President of NUM (National Union of Mineworkers) arrested at Orgreave during the 1984-85 miners’ strike.

This week in 1984, one of the most significant and controversial confrontations of the 1984-85 UK Miners’ Strike occurred, between police and pickets who were attempting to prevent wagons accessing the Orgreave Coke Works.

One member of the picket line told Channel Four's 1985 documentary, "The Battle For Orgreave";

“...On 18th of June, the police actually escorted us into Orgreave that day, which was strange because normally they’d stop us at motorways or wherever...We were ushered into this corn field, and that's where they made us stand, facing a thick blue line of police, probably ten deep, with all their big riot shields... And they were there, obviously, to stop us getting down to speak to these lorry drivers at the gates. There were dogs on right, in the wood, they were only there for one reason, so we couldn’t go that way. On left, there were a steep banking and dogs at the bottom of there. Then you’d look behind you, and once again there were horses, probably seven of them, with police on, equipped with riot gear. So you actually felt as if you were penned in. Totally. There was only one way out, and that's up to the top of the village, where there’s a bridge...”

Despite defence lawyer Gareth Peirce detailing many cases of serious injuries amongst the miners, an Assistant Chief Constable of the South Yorkshire Police made a public statement to the effect that the police response was "humane and compassionate". A number of police officers were also injured.