The dispute lasted for over a year and was the most bitterly fought since the general strike of 1926, marking a turning point in the struggle between the government and the trade union movement. Today marks 30 years since the battle of orgreave, the fateful confrontation outside a south yorkshire coking plant that pitted 6,000 pickets from the national union of mineworkers against a force of 8,000 riot police. For years i had had this idea to reenact this confrontation that i had witnessed as a young person on tv, of striking miners being chased up a hill and pursued through a village. He was one of thousands who flocked to orgreave on that hot summer monday 18 june 1984, three months into the dispute. A documentary by mike figgis about jeremy dellers reenactment of the battle of orgreave, a crucial setpiece confrontation that took place.
Thousands of pickets met huge lines of police who were brought in from all around the country outside the orgreave coke. The realism of jeremy dellers battle of orgreave 2001 was the product of meticulous militarystyle planning with one of britains leading battle reenactors, howard giles. The clash was the most dramatic setpiece of the bitter miners strike of. Browse battle of orgreave news, research and analysis from the conversation battle of orgreave news, research and analysis the conversation page 1 editions. On the afternoon of 18 june 1984 thousands of striking miners were fleeing from a politically orchestrated attack by batonwielding riot police. The orgreave coking plant was the site of one of the miners strikes most violent confrontations.
This is no criminal but a man trying to protect his livelihood. Pdf interpreting jeremy dellers the battle of orgreave alice. Jeremy dellers the battle of orgreave, staged seventeen years later, was a spectacular reenactment of what happened on that day. Orgreave in the north of england was the focal point for a mass protest by. Artwork page for the battle of orgreave archive an injury to one is an injury to all, jeremy deller, 2001. A documentary by mike figgis about jeremy dellers reenactment of the battle of orgreave, a crucial setpiece confrontation that took place during the great miners strike of 19845. The lies binding hillsborough to the battle of orgreave. Months were spent researching the events of june 18th, 1984 pouring over court testimonies, oral accounts, contemporary newspaper reports and film footage in order to.
I long for a jimmy mcgovern repeat of the battle of orgreave. Jeremy deller 1996 is nominated for the prestigious turner prize 2004. They know that if the truth is acknowledged, the structural foundations and imagery of neoliberal society will begin to crumble. Jeremy dellers battle of orgreave this is what happened. The battle of orgreave did not stop any pit closures and the miners strike failed, so probably the only winners were margaret thatcher and her government, as their will prevailed and in doing so, they crushed arthur scargills power base and political ambitions.
Jeremy deller born 30 march 1966 is an english conceptual, video and installation artist. The battle of orgreave archive an injury to one is an injury to all is an installation comprising texts, documents, objects, videos and other archival material, which provide a context for examining the intertwined narratives of two events. Deller staged the battle of orgreave in 2001, bringing together almost 1,000 people. Orgreave is a village and civil parish on the river rother in south yorkshire. Jun 12, 2015 image caption thousands of miners and police officers clashed at orgreave coking plant as pickets attempted to stop lorry loads of coke leaving the site. I thought the policeman talking at the end, when he said he had been minor, and he gave up being a miner and he became a cop because he wanted to serve his community with the help of margaret thatcher, he ended up destroying it. The battle of orgreave archive an injury to one is an. Nov 09, 2016 in 1984, britain was caught in a bitter battle between margaret thatchers administration on the one hand and the national union of mineworkers on the other.
Image caption thousands of miners and police officers clashed at orgreave coking plant as pickets attempted to stop lorry loads of coke leaving the site. The battle of orgreave was the most violent day of the yearlong miners strike. The battle of orgreave archive an injury to one is an injury to all is in the artangel collection. Pdf interpreting jeremy dellers the battle of orgreave. But a trial which began as the most important trial of public order this century ended with the complete collapse of the prosecution after 48 days. How precisely did jeremy deller reconstruct his reenactment of the miners strike in south yorkshire, the battle of orgreave 2001. With stephen cranford, jeremy deller, howard giles, john spencerbarnes. The battle for orgreave is a book about the orgreave picket and the subsequent trial. A detailed blow by blow account of the battle of orgreave on 18 june 1984 and how it was reenacted for channel 4 in 2001. It was a pivotal event in the 198485 uk miners strike, and one of the most violent clashes in british industrial history. The truth about the battle of orgreave paints an incriminating picture of the neoliberal capitalist state, the police and mainstream media.
Officers covered up the actions at the highest level. Mar 05, 2014 the battle of orgreave and how it was lost. Campaigners calling for a public inquiry into the battle of orgreave disorder are told a decision will be made by the end of october. Stream the battle of orgreave, a playlist by artangel from desktop or your mobile device. Jeremy dellers the battle of orgreave, 2001, was a sitespecific art performance which reenacted the violent clashes between police and picketing miners that originally occurred on 18 june 1984. Jeremy deller also published a book titled the english civil war part ii in 2002. But a trial which began as the most important trial of public order this century ended with the complete collapse of. Witnessing the brutal battle of orgreave uk news sky news. Nov 08, 20 excerpt from the battle of orgreave, a video work by jeremy deller and mike figgis.
It is in the metropolitan borough of rotherham, about 4. His work is shown in tate britain till december 23, 2004. The result was scores of injuries on both sides and the arrest and subsequent charge of 95 miners. That much is clear from the commemorations of the battle of orgreave, the violent confrontation between thousands of striking miners and police officers outside a coking plant in south yorkshire thirty years ago, on 18 june 1984.
In particular, there will be a mass picnic and festival commemorating events which occurred at the orgreave coking plant. For this reason, the government will attempt to block any inquiry. Since its initial presentation, the work has been represented several times, including installations at john hansard gallery in southampton in 20, at modern art oxford in the spring of 2015 and at tate britain in the summer of 2015. Twelve years prior, miners had won a major victory. Battle of orgreave is within the scope of wikiproject yorkshire, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to yorkshire on wikipedia. On saturday 14 june 2014 there will be a celebration of struggle and resistance marking the 30th anniversary of the great miners strike.
The events outside orgreave coking plant near rotherham over the past two weeks may well come to. Orgreave bbc battle for orgreave video dailymotion. The battle of orgreave, 2001 in 1998 i saw an advert for an open commission for artangel. The battle of orgreave was the bloody last stand of british miners. The camera focuses on the blood covered face of an angry protester, he looks defiant as he is led away by riot police. Oct 10, 2016 an officer who was present at the 1984 battle of orgreave says police had been told to use as much force as possible against miners. The film also includes excerpts of interviews with. The battle of orgreave 2001 documentary on free online video.
Anniversaries help us to remember the past, but they can distort and conceal it too. Jun 18, 2014 thirty years on from the battle of orgreave, digby wardealdam discusses the miners strike, the day itself, and jeremy dellers 2001 reenactment for artangel. Reenaction of the battle of orgreave global the guardian. The lies binding hillsborough to the battle of orgreave ken. Download pdf the miners strike day by day the illustrated 198485 diary of yorkshire. An injury to one is an injury to all juxtaposes dramatic photographic stills of the strike in 1984 with documentation of the staged events in 2001. At this time miners were angry over proposed pit closures and reacted by striking and pressurising other pits to close. In june 1984 a violent confrontation between police and protesters broke out at a british steel corporation coking plant in orgreave, south yorkshire. They thought disrupting production would help win their fight against pit closures and. Police attacked strikers and framed them during the 1984 battle of orgreave three months into the great miners strike. The battle of orgreave is best understood as a dialogical artwork, containing. The battle of orgreave 2001 a reconstruction of the battle between miners and policeman. What was the battle of orgreave and why are campaigners. Amber rudd, the new home secretary, announce today that there would be no inquiry into the events at the battle of orgreave.
Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the battle of orgreave near you. Jeremy dellers reenactment of the 1984 clash between striking miners and police at orgreave in south yorkshire. Apr 27, 2017 what was the battle of orgreave and why are campaigners demanding an inquiry. In 1984 the national union of mineworkers went on strike. The battle of orgreave was a onesided contest, as miners suddenly found themselves facing not a police force, but a paramilitary force dressed in riot gear, wielding long truncheons, with. Nov 01, 2016 crucial statements from cops after the brutal battle of orgreave have gone missing, the sun can reveal. Orgreave truth and justice campaign secretary, barbara jackson addresses campaign supporters at a rally in orgreave held to mark the 31st anniversary of the battle of orgreave, a confrontation between miners and police that took place during the year long miners strike in 198485. May 05, 2016 the battle of orgreave was a onesided contest, as miners suddenly found themselves facing not a police force, but a paramilitary force dressed in riot gear, wielding long truncheons, with. Based on the reenactment a documentary film was made by mike figgis, made in collaboration with jeremy deller. Witnessing the brutal battle of orgreave as a young radio journalist, skys david bowden questioned using horses to charge striking miners and was berated by police. The miner and the horse ii 71 cm x 107 cm egg tempera on canvas by sue prince. Unconvention 1999, centre for visual arts, cardiff, after the goldrush 2002. The striking miners wanted to stop lorries carrying coke to fuel the scunthorpe steel furnaces. This is a slight decline since the 2001 census, which recorded its population as 761.
The battle of orgreave is a fascinating exploration of recent northern british social history, documenting jeremy dellers reenactment of the infamous 1984 confrontation between police and striking miners at orgreave price. Aug 19, 20 a documentary by mike figgis about jeremy dellers reenactment of the battle of orgreave, a crucial setpiece confrontation that took place during the great miners strike of 19845. The battle of orgreave was filmed under the direction of mike figgis for artangel media and channel 4, and was aired on sunday 20th october 2002. The battle of orgreave by artangel free listening on soundcloud.
Jun 18, 2014 anniversaries help us to remember the past, but they can distort and conceal it too. The battle of orgreave was a violent confrontation on 18 june 1984 between police and pickets at a british steel corporation bsc coking plant at orgreave, in rotherham, south yorkshire. The battle of orgreave was the bloody last stand of british. The events outside orgreave coking plant near rotherham over the past two weeks may well come to be seen as the turning point in the miners strike. Slowly and carefully it goes though the police evidence and reveals a frightening picture of power.
On 18 june 1984 about 10,000 striking miners gathered at orgreave coking plant near rotherham determined to stop several lorry loads of coke leaving for the. The battle of orgreave was the bloody last stand of. The home secretary has expressed willingness to carefully consider an inquiry into police misconduct during the violence that left 50 people injured and 95 arrested, which occurred at the socalled battle of orgreave, in which batonwielding police on horseback charged striking miners during one of the bitterest industrial disputes in the uk in the last halfcentury. The government is not planning a lockdown but wants as many people at possible to stay at home.
Closing pubs and other premises where people congregate is the next step in. Battle of orgreave news, research and analysis the. It began in a field near the plant and culminated in a cavalry charge through the village of orgreave. Miners slam decision not to investigate orgreave cops. A look back at the events that unfolded at orgreave, the worst day of industrial violence in modern british history. This is the battle of orgreave, a reenactment of events that took place in front of the now defunct coking plant at orgreave, a couple of miles from sheffield, on june 18 1984, during the strike. The battle of orgreave was a violent confrontation on 18 june 1984 between police and pickets at a british steel corporation bsc coking plant at orgreave.
The battle of orgreave archive an injury to one is an injury to all. In 1984, britain was caught in a bitter battle between margaret thatchers administration on the one hand and the national union of mineworkers on the other. Sep, 2016 campaigners calling for a public inquiry into the battle of orgreave disorder are told a decision will be made by the end of october. I kept seeing photographs of battle scenes that reminded me of the medieval battles painted by paolo uccello in 1432. Planning orders for the controversial hardline police miners strike operation in june. If you would like to participate, you can visit the project page, where you can join the project, see a list of open tasks, and join in discussions on the projects talk page. Battle of orgreave latest news updates, pictures, video. Jeremy dellers reenactment of the 1984 clash between striking miners and police at orgreave in south yorkshire on 17 june 2001 was filmed by mike figgis for artangel media and channel 4, and aired on sunday, 20 october 2002. Orgreave in the north of england was the focal point for a mass protest by miners in june 1984. Battle of orgreave police statements burned sparking. Nov 10, 2016 the truth about the battle of orgreave paints an incriminating picture of the neoliberal capitalist state, the police and mainstream media. The battle of orgreave and the battle of orgreave apollo. It has since become an iconic image of the 1984 strike having the quality of a war scene rather than a labour dispute.