Battle Of Orgreave

stony said:
You're happy for the police to go around twatting people they don't like then?
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Agreed, any police violence is unjustified, they are here to protect society not attack it.

reasonable force yes but at Orgreave it was targetted assaults on the strikers
 
Comparisons between Orgreave and Hillsborough are absurd. The only meaningful common factor was SYP.

The latter was about 96 deaths that was substantively caused by SYP's collective negligence and incompetence. A stain on our nation.

The former was about the police being used as an instrument to protect the establishment and maintain the rule of law. Anyone who thinks the motive behind the miners' strike in 1984 was merely about pit closures is hopelessly naive. I'm afraid that the seeds of the police brutality were sown in the mid-70's, when the NUM significantly contributed to the downfall the Heath government. Doubtless, Thatcher made a promise to herself at that time that the same wouldn't be repeated on her watch - if she ever got the chance. The police, quite properly in my view, were utilised to prevent an industry subverting the democratic will of the electorate. As a consequence, certain officers will doubtless have crossed the line.

The 1984 strike was lost before it even started. Scargill, due to his appalling tactics and planning, and consumed and distracted by hubris, led his members to inevitable slaughter. Would the outcome for the coal industry have been any different if the strike hadn't happened? Probably not, but it manifestly demonstrated that we didn't 'need' domestic coal production and possibly emboldened the Tories to accelerate the closure programme, not least because the strike broke the will of the miners to resist it going forward.
 
Prestwich_Blue said:
It's an interesting one this. On one hand, there's no doubt the picket was intended to intimidate the lorry drivers if not completely make the plant inaccessible. One the other hand, there's no doubt the police were determined to ensure that didn't happen by whatever means possible and they intended a bigger show of force than the NUM could muster and one that was well-prepared for any eventuality. In the light of what's come out about Hillsborough, you'd now take their claim that they were acting in self-defence with a large pinch of salt.

But, unlike Hillsborough, there were no deaths and most of the charges brought by SYP against the pickets were thrown out of court. So I really don't see what purpose a public enquiry would serve. What does bother me though is that SYP, instead of openly and honetly admitting their mistakes back in 1989, were still actively seeking to deflect blame for Hillsborough onto the victims at the new inquests. That whole force clearly needs a good clean out from the top.
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This has got Thatchers dirty little mitts all over it ... and May and Rudd know it. They will fight to keep this buried as long as possible


A major step in the demolition of the Trade Unions and the destruction of workers rights .......which leads to where we are today with zero hours contracts and laws having to be passed to ensure that people are paid a ''minimum wage'' (Im sure some bosses would love to pay less)
 
stony said:
You're happy for the police to go around twatting people they don't like then?
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14947507_1255305714531463_1778642517987287592_n.jpg
 
gordondaviesmoustache said:
Comparisons between Orgreave and Hillsborough are absurd. The only meaningful common factor was SYP.
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Comparisons are absurd, but Orgreave and Wapping before hilborough were instrumental in the atititude of the police during and after.
As part part of the then state sponsored encouragementof police forces to work without fear or public reprisal.
Shipping 7000 coppers from arround the country along with scab workers were acts of provacation, the fact a lot of officers were allowed to remove badge numbers (a practice GMP still use today unofficially) so not to be recognised is a disgrace in itself.
 
Ifwecouldjust....... said:
This has got Thatchers dirty little mitts all over it ... and May and Rudd know it. They will fight to keep this buried as long as possible


A major step in the demolition of the Trade Unions and the destruction of workers rights .......which leads to where we are today with zero hours contracts and laws having to be passed to ensure that people are paid a ''minimum wage'' (Im sure some bosses would love to pay less)
Click to expand...


damn-right.gif
 
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