Orgreave / Miners strike petition· Page 2

Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

madness
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#21

From what ex-miner friends have told me of the miners strike and from what I've read, I think factions on both sides acted disgracefully.

Does it all need raking up?

blackdiamond
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#22

hi friends im new to this ,but what you have to remember about oagreive.is that what you saw on the tv was reversed.the police lines opened up and the mounted police charged the pickets,guys just standing in t shirts and jeans,to protect themselves they started throwing lumps of soil to fend off being beaten to a pulp.not the other way about.south Yorkshire police guilty again of lies and deceit.good evening.

blackdiamond

Tamarmole
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#23

The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there. (hopefully).

The 80s were a time when huge fault lines were opening up through our society. On occasion the police response was unwarrantably violent, typically with the uncritical support of their political masters. This went further than the miners, one just has to recall "The Battle of the Beanfield" in 1985 when extreme and excessive force was used against new age travellers.

blackdiamond
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#24

totally agree

Thrutch
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#25

I have signed.

ChrisJC
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#26

"Tamarmole" wrote:
The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there. (hopefully).

The 80s were a time when huge fault lines were opening up through our society. On occasion the police response was unwarrantably violent, typically with the uncritical support of their political masters. This went further than the miners, one just has to recall "The Battle of the Beanfield" in 1985 when extreme and excessive force was used against new age travellers.

The case of Keith Blacklock springs to mind. It wasn't an entirely one-sided battle.

And I would agree - raking it all up seems to serve little purpose.

Chris.

Peter Burgess
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#27

How old does an issue have to be before it serves no purpose to rake it up? Because everything that has happened actually occurred in the past. Obviously!

Jimmy Savile. Hillsborough. Iraq.

In all these cases "raking it up" might be justified on the grounds that there are people still alive who were unjustifiably affected to this day by the issues in question.

It's thus not just a question of how long ago does it have to have occurred to be worth "raking up". Perhaps those who think "it serves no purpose" can advise.

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#28

I think you have answered your own question Peter

My avatar is a poor likeness.

Peter Burgess
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#29

I thought I'd save someone the time, Roy.

somersetminer
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#30

"Peter Burgess" wrote:
How old does an issue have to be before it serves no purpose to rake it up? Because everything that has happened actually occurred in the past. Obviously!

Jimmy Savile. Hillsborough. Iraq.

In all these cases "raking it up" might be justified on the grounds that there are people still alive who were unjustifiably affected to this day by the issues in question.

It's thus not just a question of how long ago does it have to have occurred to be worth "raking up". Perhaps those who think "it serves no purpose" can advise.

I might just be with you on this one. Whatever happens, however much the relations talk about compensation, for damn sure it wont bring them back.
It also frankly sickens me that the majority of the legal representatives who get involved at this point are just doing it to make a few more ££.

B Clarke
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#31

the whole point of the inquiry is about injustices in the past, and if proved lessons learnt, to prevent injustices in the future,we as the people should not allow a police force to become a political tool and to take the law into its own hands on any side,if the inquiry shows crimes on both sides, so be it, it is by far in the government's interests to be seen to be doing the right thing, if the police did act illegally then it should be shown, and acted upon, if for nothing more than restoring confidence in the law of the land , and preventing any injustices in the future, thats why i voted.

BertyBasset
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#32

Let's be clear, on both Hillsborough and Orgreave, Ingham and Thatcher had world views that had to be supported regardless of evidence on the ground.

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#33

"B Clarke" wrote:
....we as the people should not allow a police force to become a political tool and to take the law into its own hands on any side ......

Absolutely!

And it this is exactly what appears to happen in my view

Self seeking, career opportunist, senior officers are probably part of the equation

My avatar is a poor likeness.

ncbnik
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#34

"B Clarke" wrote:
the whole point of the inquiry is about injustices in the past, and if proved lessons learnt, to prevent injustices in the future,we as the people should not allow a police force to become a political tool and to take the law into its own hands on any side,.......... if the police did act illegally then it should be shown, and acted upon, if for nothing more than restoring confidence in the law of the land .......

And it wasn't just the police, members of the armed forces were used 'dolled up' in police uniforms; perhaps it's that which the authorities would rather not have pointed out in public.

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#35

"ncbnik" wrote:

"B Clarke" wrote:
the whole point of the inquiry is about injustices in the past, and if proved lessons learnt, to prevent injustices in the future,we as the people should not allow a police force to become a political tool and to take the law into its own hands on any side,.......... if the police did act illegally then it should be shown, and acted upon, if for nothing more than restoring confidence in the law of the land .......

And it wasn't just the police, members of the armed forces were used 'dolled up' in police uniforms; perhaps it's that which the authorities would rather not have pointed out in public.

I have heard this before. Is there any factual information to substantiate this?

My avatar is a poor likeness.

ncbnik
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#36

Would retired members of the armed forces listing which pits they were sent to qualify as proof?

Further, and I haven't done this but I know those who have, tell me if you look carefully at the footage, police can be seen with very ill-fitting uniforms and uniforms with 'unspecific' badges and regalia i.e. stage type uniforms. The implication being why would any serving police officer not have a proper and fitting uniform? because he's not a police officer?

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#37

There's nothing new in the use of troops to assist in maintaining law and order as defined by the Government of the day.

Llanelli Riots, Rhondda Riots, Peterloo Massacre etc.

Edit: The fact the troops were disguised as police in the miners strike shows how close the Government thought they were to losing control.

Tamarmole
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#38

Interesting point.

If you look at what footage survives (a lot went "missing") from the Battle of the Beanfield the police are wearing black boiler suits without numbers - draw from that what you will.

Tamarmole
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#39

"BertyBasset" wrote:
Let's be clear, on both Hillsborough and Orgreave, Ingham and Thatcher had world views that had to be supported regardless of evidence on the ground.

Don't forget the role played by the Sun and the Daily Mail and the righteous indignation of middle England.

ncbnik
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#40

Can I put in a plea for " around the word righteous!