Rally marking infamous battle of Orgreave moves online

Every year, the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign holds a rally at Orgreave to mark June 18, 1984, when miners and police clashed at Orgreave Coking plant during the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike.

The event gives the opportunity to show solidarity with friends and activists and gather together with a display of banners and placards.

A spokesman said: “Our campaign for truth and justice this year is commemorating the 36th anniversary of the Miners' Strike and the events at Orgreave.

“Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and the lockdown mean we have taken the decision to hold our annual rally online.

“We will be live streaming the event via our Facebook page, starting at 1pm on Saturday June 20, the day we had planned to gather at Orgreave to hold our open air rally.

“Our rally theme is ‘United and Strong’ and in these times we feel it is important to remember standing together matters more than ever.

For the event, see fb.com/events/256199362195476

Kevin Horne, a miner arrested at Orgreave, said: “When the Tories refused to hold any kind of Inquiry into the police riot at Orgreave, their reasons were that policing practices had changed and there would be few lessons for the police to learn from a review of events from more than 30 years ago.

“It seems the police and the government have learned nothing as we have seen recently, when the police charged on horseback through Whitehall at a peaceful crowd demonstrating against racism and police brutality."

Kate Flannery, OJTC secretary, said: “The mining communities of Britain know only too well about vandalism and the damage and destruction inflicted on them by the Tories during the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike.

“We saw the vandalism of pit closures on a grand scale with the mass destruction of the coal industry, communities and livelihoods. We saw police attacking people and running riot, causing damage to vehicles, homes and private property in the pit towns and villages."

Speakers are set to include: Chris Kitchen, NUM General Secretary; Eileen Turnbull, Shrewsbury 24 Campaign; Sheila Coleman, Hillsborough Justice Campaign; Jan Cunliffe, Joint Enterprise Not Guilty by Association; Lee Fowler, Blacklisting Support Group; Janet Alder, sister of Christopher Alder, unlawfully killed in police custody; Judy Bolton and Yvette Williams, Justice4Grenfell; Kevin Horne, OJTC;

There will also be music from the UNITE Brass Band & PCS Samba Band

Musician and activist Joe Solo will also be performing on Saturday at 8pm with a gig 'Live From T'Shed 3' and performing his Miners’ Strike album 'Never Be Defeated' – see fb.com/groups/joesololivefromtshed

The campaign’s Miners' Strike Stories film release in March 2020 is now available for download.

It tells some of the real stories from participants of the great strike as a way of preserving on film the heroic struggles of our Miners, Families, Women Against Pit Closures and other supporters from across our mining communities. Please use this link below to find out more information about how to access it.

https://otjc.org.uk/miners-strike-stories-film-ready-for-download/

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