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Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign

June 21, 2016

At the last meeting of the Merseyside Pensioners Association (MPA) the guest speakers were both ex-miners and representatives of the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign. The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign includes ex-miners, Trades Unionists, activists and others who are determined to get justice for miners who were victims of police lies and cover ups at Orgreave in June 1984.

During the meeting it was noted that the people of Liverpool supported the miners struggle; at the time the City Council was locked in a battle with the Thatcher Government who had stolen millions of pounds from the Council’s budget. The Council supported the miners and provided licenses to enable miners to collect money in Liverpool.

Paul Winter (left) and John Dunn

Paul Winter (left) and John Dunn

Paul Winter (left) and John Dunn

Paul Winter (left) and John Dunn

 

Speakers at the MPA

Speakers at the MPA

Orgreave Coking Plant, now demolished, stood on the outskirts of Sheffield, just 8 miles from Hillsborough Stadium , scene of the Hillsborough disaster on 15th April 1989, in which 96 Liverpool supporters were, as the jury at the recent inquests determined, unlawfully killed. The plant supplied coke to the power station at Scunthorpe some 20 miles away.

On that day, 95 miners were arrested when thousands of police officers from across the country brutally assaulted miners striking to defend jobs and mining communities. At subsequent court cases the evidence presented by South Yorkshire Police was heavily discredited and 39 miners were later awarded out of court settlements.

Yet no police officers, some of whom were told not to write anything in their note books on June 18 were ever charged of any offence despite conclusive evidence of assault, perjury, preventing the course of justice and misconduct in public office. Five years later at Hillsborough, history repeated itself when police officers were also instructed not to write anything in their note books. Some of the same senior officers were involved in the aftermath of both scandals.

John Dunn gave the meeting an account of how he was hit by a police truncheon, thrown onto the floor of a police van and denied medical attention to a wound on his head for hours. Subsequently he was found guilty of trumped up charges in court.

Below are photographs from the miners struggle taken 30 years ago.

Support the miners meeting at Toynbee Hall 1984

Support the miners meeting at Toynbee Hall, East London 1984

Supporting striking miners, Whitehall c.1984

Supporting striking miners, Whitehall c.1984

Collecting food and money for the miners in East London 1984

Collecting food and money for the miners in East London 1984

Collecting food and money for the miners in East London 1984

Collecting food and money for the miners in East London 1984

Collecting food and money for the miners in East London 1984

Collecting food and money for the miners in East London 1984

Posters supporting the miners. Brick Lane Bridge 1984

Posters supporting the miners. Brick Lane Bridge 1984

East London women in support of the miners, Kent c. 1984

East London women in support of the miners, Kent c.1984

Women in support of the miners, London c. 1984

Women in support of the miners, London c.1984

East London meeting in support of the miners, c. 1984

East London meeting in support of the miners, c.1984

Poll Tax Demo with Yorkshire Miners banner, Trafalgar Square 1990

Poll Tax Demo with Yorkshire Miners banner, Trafalgar Square 1990

Dog supporting the Miners on strike, 1980's

Dog supporting the Miners on strike, 1980s

Protest, Westminster 1984

Protest, Westminster 1984

Protest, Westminster 1984

Protest, Westminster 1984

 

2 Responses leave one →
  1. Marie Harrison (secretary Merseyside Pensioners Association permalink
    June 21, 2016

    These photographs are are brilliant image of the events during the Miners strike.
    The Labour Movement needs to maintain the pressure against state/police and employers conspiracies. Still campaigning for the Shrewsbury Pickets and other attacks on workers rights.

  2. Irene Leonard permalink
    June 23, 2016

    Phil
    These photographic records and recorded accounts are required more than ever now as time passes and audiences and developments in communication alter perception and reception. Impressive photo clarity!

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