Miners' strike policing: MP calls for Orgreave inquiry

[mikem8634]

Conrod says - Remember that most English voters are decidely Conservative

 

Figures say - 9,931,029 voted for the Conservatives

15,154,068 voted against the Conservatives

 

 

What "facts"? The only facts are more people voted FOR the Conservatives than voted for Labour.

 

And more people voted AGAINST Labour than the Conservatives.

 

The facts are the figures that disproved the incorrect statement above.

 

If you look back through my posts you will see me consistently asking people to back up their claims with evidence (or to at least qualify those statements as opinion only). Now, of course everyone can make a mistake and post something that has no factual foundation (I'm sure I will have at some point) but when it becomes a regular occurrence it begins to point to a lack of credibility and, therefore, could do with being challenged.

 

Now, let's get back to the OP shall we?

[alchresearch]

The facts are the figures that disproved the incorrect statement above.

 

Now, let's get back to the OP shall we?

 

You were the one going on about this for the last two pages and ignored my plea to put it back on topic.

[mikem8634]

What "facts"? The only facts are more people voted FOR the Conservatives than voted for Labour.

 

And more people voted AGAINST Labour than the Conservatives.

 

You were the one going on about this for the last two pages and ignored my plea to put it back on topic.

 

Fair point, we are now singing from the same sheet.

[GrapeApe]

The lying, corrupt police were used a a political tool against people fighting for their jobs and their communities. They lost and look at those communities now. Many still without proper job opportunities and a generation who has never worked.

 

Amazing that so many defend police lies or think we should just forgive and forget. NEVER. The truth must come out about how black propaganda was used against the miners and reports manipulated.... which has been swallowed hook line and sinker by so many naive souls...many posting on here

[mikem8634]

The lying, corrupt police were used a a political tool against people fighting for their jobs and their communities. They lost and look at those communities now. Many still without proper job opportunities and a generation who has never worked.

 

Amazing that so many defend police lies or think we should just forgive and forget. NEVER. The truth must come out about how black propaganda was used against the miners and reports manipulated.... which has been swallowed hook line and sinker by so many naive souls...many posting on here

 

What amazes me is that those who ignore or deny the kinds of institutional corruption that are currently being uncovered seem to assume it will never be employed against them.

[Hots on]

Conrod says - Remember that most English voters are decidely Conservative

 

Figures say - 9,931,029 voted for the Conservatives

15,154,068 voted against the Conservatives

 

Yet still he wriggles.

 

Repeat after me - My name is Conrod and I made a mistake.

 

Have you adressed post 213?

[mikem8634]

And by the same logic used in your statistics:

 

8,604,358 voted for the Labour party

21,049,280 voted against the Labour party

 

Have you adressed post 213?

 

No, because I don't think there is anything to address.

 

Those stats are correct. I have no issue with them.

 

I don't think you'll find me making any unfounded claims about the political affiliations of the voting public.

[Tradescanthia]

No he doesn't. If people gather to challenge the authorities, they can expect a few taps on the noggin from a Policeman with a large truncheon. Tear gas, water cannons and baton rounds wouldn't go amiss either.

 

Love it :hihi: There's always artillery and airstrikes as well. May as well do the job properly.

 

I'd let them practice on the Lord who wants to make pensioners go back to work. A few baton rounds wouldn't do him any harm............perhaps a tazer or two as well.

[gnvqsos]

No he doesn't. If people gather to challenge the authorities, they can expect a few taps on the noggin from a Policeman with a large truncheon. Tear gas, water cannons and baton rounds wouldn't go amiss either.

 

Are you fan of computer games by any chance?Such tactics will alienate people and force opposition to use more covert techniques.

[mikem8634]

Lesley Boulton is the subject of a famous photograph by John Harris who spent a year on the picket lines photographing key moments of the Miners Strike.

 

Lesley was a member of Women Against Pit Closures and she went along to Orgreave on 18th June 1984 - the day that became known as the Battle of Orgreave, a bloody battle between pickets and police.

In John Harris' iconic photograph, Lesley is holding a camera and cowering from a mounted policeman with a baton raised - about to crack her on the head.

Despite the photo's arresting qualities and the fact it now has iconic status, a report by the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom said it was only published in one of 17 national newspapers at the time - which they say suggests reporting bias.

But what happened next to Lesley?

 

Read and hear the moments in her own words by clicking on the link below. You can also read the transcription below.

 

 

At the time of the strike Lesley had teenage children. She now lives in Pitsmoor, Sheffield and has grandchildren.

 

 

 

Lesley explains...

"The photograph shows a mounted police officer with baton raised about to hit me on the head.

"It was a long time ago now but never forgotten. It was at Orgreave on the outskirts of Sheffield. There was a coking plant there.

"We knew there was going to be a picket that morning - 18th June 1984. Some people I knew from PoliceWatch were going along and a friend of mine from Women Against Pit Closures and I decided that we'd go down. So I thought I'd go and take some photographs of what was going on and just monitor the situation.

Women Against Pit Closures >

"It was an absolutely beautiful June day. My friend Audrey and I arrived at about 9.30am. It was really very quiet at the time, there was a big field in front of the coking plant with a huge line of police across the bottom. Up a little rise on the right was a squadron of police horses.

 

Orgreave, 18th June 1984

 

"There was a road going down the side of the field on the left. Just on the road bit was a cluster of miners who were, shall we say, "exchanging remarks" with the police.

"But basically people - men - were sitting or standing around in small groups, there was really not a lot going on.

"A lot of the men had taken their t-shirts off and stuffed them in their back pockets.

"It certainly wasn't the sort of thing you'd do if you were planning to attack a seriously armed police force - they had their long shields, all their protective gear on, batons, helmets on. You don't confront police like that in nothing but a pair of jeans and trainers.

 

"So I say quite categorically that there was no intention of the miners to attack the police. I myself, with a lot of other miners, was forced to run away and take refuge."

Grace Shaw: So it's Orgreave on a sunny day in June, didn't look like it was all about to kick off. What happened next?

 

Lesley Boulton: "There had been some stuff going off before I arrived but I don't know exactly what happened. A few stones going over - nothing major at all. There was a standoff for a while - a few stones went over, and then there was a massive cavalry charge up into the village.

"The ranks of the police who were several deep opened up and the police did a series of cavalry charges and pushed us back into the village and then blockades were set up - a police blockade at one side of the bridge and a miners blockade at the other side of the bridge.

 

"There's a T-junction there and a bus stop. I was attending to a man who was on the ground and seemed to have some chest injuries.

"I was standing trying to attract the attention of a police officer in the road to get him an ambulance. Because I thought, I don't know how serious it was, but it warranted some medical attention.

"The skin of my teeth"

"As I stood up to attract this policeman's attention, this officer on a police horse just bore down on me."

This was the very moment the picture was taken.

 

 

 

"Fortunately for me there was someone standing behind me who was also with the injured miner, who just yanked me out of the way.

"John Harris, who was taking the pictures, was using a motor drive and I've seen not just the famous photograph but the subsequent picture which shows the baton going down very close to me.

"I felt it go past me. I was just missed by the skin of my teeth really.

"That part was very, very disturbing. Because the police were actually having a very good time, they were enjoying this huge exercise of brutal authority, so I found that very disturbing.

 

"You got the sense that they were just out of control and quite a few miners were injured on the day. One young lad that I took a photo off had his leg broken. There were quite a lot of injuries."

GS: If the policeman's baton had hit you, would it probably have knocked you out?

LB: "Oh absolutely, without equivocation."

 

 

 

GS: Do you think the policeman thought you were a miner?

LB: "I don't know, I was holding a camera as I was trying to attract attention and I don't know what he thought really. The police were completely carried away. Some of them were laughing and obviously enjoying this exercise of their power.

GS: Did it put you off?

LB: "No, it didn't put me off, it made me more determined to go. We were sort of getting used to the fact that Sheffield and South Yorkshire were a police state, insofar as if you wanted to go to Nottinghamshire from Sheffield (down the M1) there would be constant convoys of police.

"At every sliproad between here and Nottingham there were police roadblocks at the end of the sliproads and the police would decide whether you were allowed to go on or not."

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/content/articles/2009/03/02/lesley_boulton_orgreave_photo_feature.shtml

 

An interesting read or listen whichever you prefer. Quite an iconic image. Have a look at the comments too.