00:00The government has announced a public inquiry into one of the worst days of violence during
00:09the 1984-85 miners strike. On the 18th of June 1984, more than 100 people were injured in clashes
00:18between police and striking miners at the Orgreave coking plant in South Yorkshire.
00:24It became known as the Battle of Orgreave. 95 people were charged with riot and violent disorder
00:31and faced hefty prison sentences. However, all of the charges were eventually dropped when police
00:37officers were accused of lying in court. Campaigners have long fought for an investigation into South
00:43Yorkshire Police's actions during and after the clashes at Orgreave. They say miners were attacked
00:49and crucial evidence was destroyed. Their calls for a national inquiry were rejected in 2016
00:56by a Conservative government.
00:58I have concluded that there is no case for either a statutory inquiry or an independent review.
01:06Last week, the current Labour Home Secretary visited the site in Orgreave where the coking
01:11plants used to stand and promised answers to what happened on that day.
01:15Clearly, what it needs to look at is the violent clashes that took place that day, the injuries
01:22that took place, 120 people who were injured, but also the prosecutions, the charges that were then
01:29laid but then dropped because of discredited evidence. So all of those issues, we know that
01:35there are still files held, that there is still information held that hasn't been made public and
01:40all of that will need to be part of the inquiry. She was joined by campaigners and former miners
01:47who have waited more than four decades for this announcement.
01:50A long time coming and long overdue. I hope and fervently pray for some of these people that suffered.
02:00I mean, I was there on the day but never suffered like some of the lads have and the trauma that they've
02:05suffered and have continued to suffer for years. And also thinking about the people who's no longer with us.
02:13Memories of what happened in June 1984 remain strong in South Yorkshire. The inquiry is expected
02:19to be launched this autumn and it's hoped will restore trust amongst a community which still bears
02:25the scars after all these years.
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