The UK’s home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has announced a full inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave, a large, violent clash between the National Union of Mineworkers and South Yorkshire police that took place over 40 years ago.
The clash was a flashpoint of the 1984-85 miners’ strike, in which mining communities fought to protect jobs and industry from closure. It descended into a violent confrontation between miners and police, with injuries and accusations of misconduct on both sides.
The announcement of an inquiry has been a long time coming for miners’ groups. Comparisons have been made to the Hillsborough tragedy and inquiry – another incident involving accusations of mistreatment by South Yorkshire Police.
