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E NOT R OrgreaveThe Battle of Orgreave DOLE S 30 year anniversary www.strike84.co.uk Martin Shakeshaft -

Orgreave Mass Picnic & Festival Saturday 14 June 2014 | 11.00am-7.00pm Catcliffe Recreation Ground, Poplar Way, Catcliffe, S60 5TZ

2 Programme 50p The Battle of Orgreave The Battle of Orgreave www.strike84.co.uk ON 18 JUNE 1984, in the first months of the year‑long miners’ strike against pit closures, pickets from across Britain headed for Orgreave coke depot outside Rotherham in South Yorkshire. The depot was supplying fuel to the country’s steelworks.

Martin Shakeshaft - It was targeted by the National Union their backs and heads. Beaten miners, of Mineworkers whose members heads pouring blood, were arrested as were striking to defend their jobs, the assault continued. their coalmines, their families, their communities and their future. They had no The miners fled in the only direction knowledge of what awaited them. Police open to them, up a hillside, into woods. from 10 forces had been mobilised. To the They regrouped and returned, and miners’ surprise, police made no attempt using whatever they could lay their to prevent them reaching their target - no hands on - fence stakes, branches, road blocks, no halting of miners’ vehicles stones - retaliated. on motorways and road networks, as was happening around working mines. BBC editing That evening, film of the events at 10,000 miners Orgreave was edited by the BBC to show Instead the miners were advised where to the miners attacking first, and police park, and were directed into a field near responding with a charge – the exact the cokeworks. An estimated 10,000 reverse of what had really happened. miners were eventually gathered in an Ninety-five miners were arrested and area which was surrounded on three charged with riot - an offence which sides by massed ranks of police. carries a potential life sentence. In the aftermath, the charges were thrown June 18 was a hot summer’s day. The out by the courts as evidence mounted miners were lightly-clad - many in shorts, of police collusion in the preparation tee-shirts, plimsolls. The mood was good- of statements. Falsely-charged miners natured. There was the usual humorous collectively were paid £425,000 in banter from the pickets. Without warning compensation. the police ranks parted, and mounted, armoured, baton- wielding officers This then was the story of the Battle of charged. At full gallop they hurtled into Orgreave - an event which has gone down the ranks of the miners, battering all in Britain’s history of industrial struggle within reach. The cavalry charge was as one of the state’s most brutal acts of followed by the infantry - police on foot, violence against its own people. again wielding batons. The miners were in disarray, scattering, running for their What happened at Orgreave that day very lives. As they did so they were thirty years ago raised bigger questions attacked from behind by police, battering about the policing of the miners’ strike.

Designed by Adam Di Chiara – bit.ly/1cHyK2T Special 2thanks to Martin Shakeshaft (www.strike84.co.uk) for the use of his images for this programme. 1 Printed by the Habro Printing Company, Featherstone, West Yorks WF7 5EX Orgreave 30 year anniversary The Battle of Orgreave Orgreave Mass Picnic & Festival Sponsors ASLEF National GMB Grimsby General Branch FBU National UNISON Greater London Region GMB National UNISON North West Region Musicians’ Union UNISON Leeds CMHS Branch PCS National UNISON Northamptonshire CC Branch TSSA National UNISON Wakefield Metropolitan District Branch UCATT National UNISON York City Branch ASLEF Bletchley (027) Branch UNISON Nottingham City ASLEF Brighton (35) Branch AMICUS Bamber Bridge Branch ASLEF Bristol Branch RMT Scottish Regional Council ASLEF Chester Branch RMT Edinburgh & Portobello District ASLEF Doncaster (61) Branch RMT South East Region ASLEF Feltham Electric Branch RMT Deptford Branch ASLEF Gateshead & Newcastle (082) Branch RMT Stockport & District Branch ASLEF Northern Line-North Branch FBU Region No 3 (North East) ASLEF Nottingham Branch NUT Barnsley Division ASLEF Penzance Branch Rotherham Teachers Association ASLEF Peterborough (161) Branch NUJ South Yorkshire Branch ASLEF Three Bridges (213) Branch TUC Southern & Eastern Reg. Council ASLEF Tyseley No 218 Branch TUC South East Northumberland ASLEF Wolverhampton 236 Branch TUC West Cheshire UNITE North East, Yorkshire & Humberside Bridgwater Trades Council Region Crewe & District Trades Council UNITE North West Region Dover District Trades Council UNITE Scottish Regional Accounts Leeds Trades Council UNITE South East Region Liverpool Trades Council UNITE Welsh Region Mansfield & Nottingham Trades Council UNITE West Midlands Region Merthyr Tydfil Trades Council UNITE Dartford 0290 Norwich & District Trades Council UNITE Manchester Central Branch (0604) Rotherham Trades Council UCATT Yorkshire Region Sheffield Trades Council UCATT Everton Branch No UD088 Spennymoor & Newton Aycliffe Trades Council UCATT Gillmoss (365) Branch Wolverhampton Bilston & District Trades UCATT UE131 Nottingham 6th Branch Council UCATT St Helens Branch Stoke-on-Trent Community Action Fund UCATT UE191 Wolverhampton Branch

Morning Star www.strike84.co.uk GMB Yorkshire & North Derbyshire Region GMB Goole Branch Thompsons Solicitors GMB Midland & East Coast Region Jackie Evans (Nottingham MSG) GMB S27 Scunthorpe District & Apex Branch Brian Light (Colchester MSG) GMB Mid Lancs Branch Linda McAvan MEP

GMB X07 NIE Branch Northern Ireland Dennis Skinner MP Martin Shakeshaft -

2 3 MESSAGE FROM Chris Kitchen “I am unable to attend the Orgreave picnic due to a pre-arranged engagement in the Calderdale Trades Council North East... supports Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign’s call for a I hope the event Public Enquiry into the policing goes well.” of the Orgreave Coking Plant in June 1984 Chris Kitchen National Secretary, National http://calderdaletuc.org.uk Union of Mineworkers

SHEFFIELD TRADE UNION COUNCIL est.1858 Celebrating the struggle of the miners and their communities in the Miners Strike 30 years ago. We send solidarity greetings to all those LONDON attending the Mass Picnic organised by Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign MAGAZINE BRANCH Your fight is our fight! Is proud to support the Martin Mayer Bob Jeffery Orgreave Truth and Secretary President Justice Campaign. martin.mayer@unitetheunion .org [email protected] http://www.nujlmb.org.uk NION O L U F M A IN N E IO W T COAL O A

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Orgreave Mass Picnic & Festival Programme 2014 R The Battle of Orgreave The Battle of Orgreave DOLE S TIME MAIN STAGE TIME ACOUSTIC STAGE Compere Attila the Stockbroker Compere Jeff Platts 11:00 – 12:00 Unite Brass Band. (On the field) 13:10 – 13:30 Jenny Willow Liverpool songstress Speakers: Barbara Jackson – Orgreave Truth & Justice 13:30 – 13:45 Tony Goodwin Pitman poet Campaign, Rick Sumner – Justice for Mineworkers’ Campaign, 13:45 – 14:05 Martin Black Doncaster balladeer 12:00 – 13:00 Betty Cook – Women Against Pit Closures, Dave Douglass – Former NUM official,Mike MansfieldQC, 14:05 – 14:20 Javaad Alipoor Bradford poet Ken Capstick – Former Vice-President NUM Yorkshire Area 14:20 – 14:45 Ray Hearne Irish rooted South Yorkshire folk Banner Theatre Entertainment for a change! The Red Flags duo with songs of struggle all the way from 13:00 – 14:00 It is the 40th Anniversary of Banner Theatre – their songs and 14:45 – 15:15 Norwich stories of struggle continue to inspire comrades everywhere. 15:15 – 15:45 Bruce Tality Foot stomping punk rock guitar and harmonica Speakers: Ann Field – Printers’ Union/Wapping Archive 14:00 – 14:15 Pedro Fuentes – Chile SCDA 15:45 – 16:15 Joe Solo Performer and raconteur Omar Puente & Friends 16:15 – 16:30 Dave Douglass NUM Legend 14:15 – 14:45 “A classical violinist with a heart that beats with a Cuban rhythm, 17:00 – 17:30 Quiet Loner Anthems for resistance a soul that is African, and a home in West Yorkshire” Womad 17:45 – 18:30 Louise Distras Passionate, powerful and punky! 14:45 – 15:00 Tribute to Bob Crow with RMT President Peter Pinkney We would like to thank all the artists who have donated their time, creative energy and passion for Sean Taylor “Springsteen and Taylor are cheering my day… 15:00 – 15:30 justice to perform at this event. The commitment of radical artists to the continuing class struggle brilliant, stunning songs.” Mike Harding is not only a constant source of inspiration but it is at the heart of all our hopes and dreams. Tony Goodwin – A former miner turned poet. His poems are 15:30 – 15:45 about life and love in a Northern town Snide Remarks A rock and roll band from Middlesbrough 15:45 – 16:15 with an original set of high energy songs that keep audiences on their toes! Tribute to Orgreave Veterans: Sheila Coleman – 16:15 – 16:30 Hillsborough Campaign, Arthur Critchlow – Orgreave Veteran, Children release balloons The Hurriers Barnsley’s very own, responsible for this year’s 16:30 – 17:00 ‘Battle of Orgreave’ anthem “Truth and Justice”. A proper Socialist Punk band like everyone needs! Western Promise One of Liverpool’s best live bands to have 17:15 – 17:45 www.strike84.co.uk supported the Hillsborough fight for justice for many years. Thee Faction Singing down the government with good 18:00 – 18:45 politics! Thee Faction are The Redskins meet Dr Feelgood; Revolutionary Socialism at its very best!

18:45 – 19:00 The struggle continues – closing speakers Martin Shakeshaft -

6 7 RUTH & J Other acts of police violence The Orgreave group now has a website, T US E T The Battle of Orgreave V I The Battle of Orgreave A C The launch had its own, almost regular meetings, and media and legal 30 YEARS OF LIES E COAL E

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NO JUSTICE NO PEACE A I DOLE G for investigations into other acts of Since its foundation the OTJC has won

N police violence and brutality, including broad support within the trade union NEVER FORGET – NEVER FORGIVE military-style invasions of coal-mining movement. It may also have been communities. The Orgreave campaigners the spur for Labour MPs in mining The 2014 Cabinet Papers They launched a campaign to find themselves are focussing on that single communities to set up the Justice for The explosive revelations in the the truth. Their determination day, June 18, 1984, at the cokeworks the Coalfields Campaign in January Cabinet papers released on 3 January culminated 23 years later in their outside Rotherham. The campaign gained 2014 which includes the demand 2014 demonstrated what the miners own independent enquiry, and the remarkable momentum in the weeks that the government ‘release all knew to be true at the time of the uncovering of a police conspiracy immediately after its launch. information about Government-police 1984-85 strike. There was a plan, involving doctored statements, communications around Orgreave, with in spite of National Coal Board and false evidence, and a cover-up Independent public enquiry a proper investigation which might go a government denials, to close 75 of shocking incompetence at An Inside Out programme in October little way to rebuild public confidence. pits with the loss of 64,000 jobs; Hillsborough. The revelations were 2012 revealed the fabrication of Labour believes this must happen before the government did intervene to finally put in the public domain with the Orgreave evidence by South the 30th Anniversary of Orgreave on ‘stiffen the resolve’ of the police and the publication of the Hillsborough Yorkshire Police. They self-referred June 18th this year’. Thatcher was intimately involved in the Independent Panel Report of to the Independent Police Complaints day‑to‑day running of the strike. September 2012. And now, since Commission (IPCC) citing the We need your support March 2014, the new inquests programme. Barbara Jackson is secretary of the Now there is the strength of feeling into the deaths of the 96 LIverpool Orgreave group. She said: and political will to get truth and justice supporters are being held. Campaigners have little faith in the IPCC, for the miners, their families and and are demanding an independent, We are in the foothills of communities. Inspirational achievement public inquiry. ❝a large mountain and we are The success of the Hillsborough going to need lots of help to A Bold Initiative families had another effect. Their The National Union of Mineworkers, push this back up the agenda. How has the Orgreave Truth and success was an inspirational Gareth Peirce and Michael Mansfield I am passionate about getting Justice Campaign (OTJC), established achievement, quite literally. QC, who between them defended many justice for what happened in the in November 2012, managed to push It inspired the launching of of the Orgreave miners accused of riot, strike, for the decimation of the itself to the centre of the trade union a campaign for a full public inquiry and acted for the Hillsborough families, coal mining industry and the movement and spur MPs into action? into what happened at Orgreave are calling for the Director of Public decimation of the National Union coke depot. The call came first Prosecutions to investigate in tandem of Mineworkers. The answer lies with another act from a Sheffield woman, Barbara with the IPCC. of infamy involving the police – the Jackson. She had been a clerical ❞ Hillsborough disaster. Ninety‑six worker employed by the National THE ORGREAVE TRUTH AND JUSTICE Liverpool United football fans died Coal Board during the 1984-85 in 1989 at Hillsborough football strike. For a year she was on strike CAMPAIGN NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT ground. Sections of the media, many herself, supporting the fight for OrgreaveTruthAndJusticeCampaign politicians, and the police themselves, the very survival of Britain’s proud blamed the Liverpool fans for the coal industry, its miners, families The group’s website: http://otjc.org.uk/ disaster. But families of those­ who and communities. The OTJC was e-mail: [email protected] died believed differently. launched on 8 November, 2012.

8 9 SETTLING SCORES is published by the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (CPBF). We were heavily involved in the miners’ strike around the issue of the right of reply and published the very popular pamphlet Media Hits The Pits.

SETTLING SCORES pinpoints unfinished business from the miners’ strike. You can buy copies of SETTLING SCORES here today or from the CPBF for £8.50 inc P&P. Make your cheque out to ‘CPBF’ and send to CPBF, 23 Orford Road, Walthamstow, London E17 9NL or order online at www.cpbf.org.uk.

Better still order ten copies for your union branch or trades council and we’ll send them post free

National Union of Journalists Leeds and Wakefield Branch www.nuj.org.uk

Proudly representing journalists who produced The Battle for Orgreave

An Inside Out programme for BBC Yorkshire & Lincolnshire broadcast in October 2012

Confirming the importance of high-quality well-funded regional public service broadcasting The brutality of the police and the formation of a SETTING THE scab union, the UDM, are placed in the context of a hostile press and government determined RECORD STRAIGHT to break the strike. The book hammers home Anniversaries are artificial. People who have lived the depth of the betrayal of the Nottinghamshire through momentous events like the miners’ strike strike-breakers while paying tribute to the striking don’t just remember them on one date or for one miners and their families who stood by their year – they live with them continuously. beliefs, their union and their class. However the 30th anniversary of the strike Most of the media, with the exception of papers has produced a crop of books which are well like the Morning Star and other left papers, worth reading. Let’s start with Look Back In reported and filmed the miners’ strike from Anger: The Miners’ Strike in Nottinghamshire behind the police lines. Martin Jenkinson was 30 Years On by Harry Patterson, published by a photographer on the side of the miners, the Five Leaves Press, £9.99. official Yorkshire NUM area photographer. He died in June 2012. Images From The Past: Patterson’s history of the Nottinghamshire The Miners’ Strike by Mark Metcalf, Martin coalfield moves from 1926 to the present day. Jenkinson and Mark Harvey, published by Pen There is some powerful writing – for example & Sword, £14.99 is a great collection of his the events around the death of the twenty-four photos, covering both the strike and the protests year old Yorkshire miner, David Jones, at Ollerton by Women Against Pit Closures in 1992-93. An Colliery in Nottinghamshire. added bonus is the very clear commentary on the The writing is clear, analytical and draws on a strike by Mark Metcalf. wealth of first-hand testimony. The establishment The book is a fitting tribute to a dedicated, talented of a bosses’ union in Nottinghamshire, after and committed photographer. the collapse of the five-month strike in 1926, by George Spencer, an ex-miner and Labour MP, sets Granville Williams, editor Shafted (2009) the context for 1984. and Settling Scores (2014)

THE NATIONAL JUSTICE FOR MINEWORKERS South Yorkshire CAMPAIGN (JMC) was formed in 1985 to keep FESTIVAL the issue of victimised miners at the forefront Wortley Hall, Wortley of the labour and trade South Yorkshire S35 7DD union movement and to raise money to alleviate hardship among the families of Saturday 16 August Starts 12 noon the victimised. This year’s theme: ❝ When the Miners’ Strike ended in 1985 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF we had over 960 men who had been sacked. THE MINERS’ STRIKE Today we are left with just 20 men who have not received a wage since March 1984. The Justice Campaign is able to help in many CPBF Open Meeting ways – a burst boiler – a leaking roof – but Nick Jones (former BBC Industrial most of all we try to make sure that they Correspondent). An illustrated analysis of the and their families always have a decent 1985 cabinet papers and how the government Christmas. Any help at all is very welcome manipulated the ‘return-to-work’ figures in the and much appreciated. final months of the 1984-5 pit dispute. ❞ Henry Collins Room 3.30pm Rick Sumner, Convenor. Justice for Mineworkers Campaign. 103 Cliff Road, Hornsea HU18 1JB ALL WELCOME An all day event celebrating the courage, resourcefulness, strength and spirit of the miners on the 30th anniversary of their return to work at the end of a year-long struggle © John Harris/reportditital.co.uk

FOR FURTHER COAL ORGREAVE NOT INFORMATION CONTACT: TRUTH AND JUSTICE CAMPAIGN DOLE [email protected]