Police Riot at Orgreave

On 18th June 1984, during the Miners’ strike, thousands of miners travelled to the coking plant at Orgreave, South Yorkshire, to take part in a mass picket.

The miners were met by around 6,000 police officers brought from forces all over Britain. These were commanded by the South Yorkshire Police, the same force that in 1989, along with the then Conservative government, would be involved in the cover-up around the Hillsborough disaster.

Police officers directed many of the miners into a field to the south of the plant, trapping them between rows of police and a railway embankment. Dozens of mounted officers then charged up the field towards the miners, followed by riot police armed with batons and short shields. Fleeing miners were chased, violently beaten, and arrested. 95 miners were eventually charged with riot or unlawful assembly.

The trial of the first 15 miners charged with riot collapsed due to unreliable police evidence. Prosecutions of the 95 miners were eventually dropped and South Yorkshire Police paid £425,000 compensation to some miners. In 2015, an Independent Police Complaints Commission report highlighted concerns about the police’s excessive violence and questioned the evidence they presented at the trial.

Want to know more? otjc.org.uk

The BBC reversed their 18th June footage of the events at Orgreave to make it look like the miners had started the violence, which was untrue.

In 2024, shortly before the election of a Labour government, which had committed to holding an inquiry, Northumbria Police destroyed evidence of police conduct at Orgreave.

“I used to have respect for the police, but after Orgreave and what they did to us, I can’t trust them. It’s the same for my sons who saw the effects on me”

Kevin Horne, miner arrested at Orgreave, and Orgreave Campaign activist

“Any destruction of important information relating to violent police attacks on striking miners means that crucial evidence is no longer available […] This all adds to the many concerns we have about police cover-ups and justice being denied”

Kate Flannery, Orgreave Campaign activist

“The trial collapsed because of the police’s attempt to present fabricated evidence. A duty of candour would hopefully prevent this happening again at the inquiry”

Chris Peace, Orgreave Campaign activist