Latest news with #policeBrutality
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Retired police officers will be forced to give evidence to Battle of Orgreave inquiry amid concerns probe held 40 years after miners' strike clash is 'sheer waste' of taxpayers' cash
Retired police officers will be forced to give evidence to an inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave - which will begin later this year despite claims it is a 'waste' of taxpayer money. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the statutory public inquiry will investigate the events surrounding the clashes between police and miners at the Orgreave Coking Plant in South Yorkshire on June 18, 1984. The incident saw miners converge on the plant to try to disrupt deliveries before they were met with force by thousands of police officers. More than a hundred people were injured during the most violent day of the 1984-1985 miners' strike. Campaigners have long called for an inquiry to investigate claims of police brutality and the blaming of miners' for the violence as part of an alleged 'institutional frame-up'. In total, 95 picketers were arrested and initially charged with riot and violent disorder, but all charges were later dropped after evidence was discredited. But demands for an inquiry had long been resisted by politicians including the late Lord Tebbit, who called it a 'sheer waste of money' and pointed out that many of the people involved were dead. Today, the Taxpayers' Alliance told MailOnline it was concerned about the cost of holding such the inquiry, considering how expensive and long they tend to be. The inquiry will be statutory with powers to compel people to provide information where necessary, the Home Office said. The Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield, has agreed to chair the inquiry, which the Home Office said is intended to 'aid the public's understanding of how the events on the day, and immediately after, came to pass'. Ms Cooper said what happened at Orgreave 'cast a shadow over communities in Yorkshire and other mining areas'. She added: 'The violent scenes and subsequent prosecutions raised concerns that have been left unanswered for decades, and we must now establish what happened. 'I pay tribute to the campaigners who never stopped in their search for truth and justice, and I look forward to continuing to work with them as we build an inquiry that gets the answers they and their communities deserve.' The Home Office said formal consultation between the Home Secretary and the Rt Revd Wilcox on the inquiry's terms of reference has begun. The Rt Revd Wilcox said he did not 'underestimate the weight of expectation or the significance of the task'. He added: 'I look forward to engaging with stakeholders in the coming weeks over the draft terms of reference, and to working with the government to identify experts to support me on the independent panel. 'I expect the panel to begin its work in the autumn, and we will endeavour to deliver an inquiry which is thorough and fair, and which will uncover what happened at Orgreave as swiftly as possible.' The Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign (OTJC) said it wanted to know who was responsible for 'organising and ordering the deployment of multiple police forces, including mounted police armed with truncheons, shields and dogs, against striking miners'. The campaign group said it wanted the inquiry to find out how it was decided that 'striking miners should be attacked and arrested at Orgreave and charged with riot and unlawful assembly, which carried heavy prison sentences'. It added that it wanted to know why 'the police operational order for police deployments that day disappeared and other evidence been destroyed or Embargoed until 2066 and 2071'. OTJC secretary, Kate Flannery, said the announcement of an inquiry was 'really positive news'. Ms Flannery added: 'We now need to be satisfied that the inquiry is given the necessary powers to fully investigate all the aspects of the orchestrated policing at Orgreave, and have unrestricted access to all relevant information including government, police and media documents, photos and films.' The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) general secretary, Chris Kitchen, said the inquiry was 'hugely welcome'. Mr Kitchen added: 'The events at Orgreave, and throughout the strike, destroyed the trust between the police and mining communities even now, 41 years later. 'It is vital that this trust is won back and the NUM believe this inquiry will go some way to rebuilding that trust.' Kevin Horne, a miner arrested at Orgreave, said: 'It is now over 41 years since a paramilitary style police operation was planned at Orgreave and it is important to remember that some of the miners attacked and arrested there are now dead and many others are old and ill. 'We need a quick and thorough inquiry with a tight timescale so that surviving miners can at last obtain the truth and justice they have been waiting for.' Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard, said the inquiry was a 'landmark moment for justice and accountability'. Mr Coppard added: 'The Inquiry represents an opportunity to examine not only the actions of South Yorkshire Police and other forces on that day, but also the broader role of government at the time.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
UK to hold inquiry into miners strike ‘Battle of Orgreave' four decades on
LONDON: Britain said on Monday it would hold an inquiry into the 'Battle of Orgreave,' a violent confrontation between police and striking coal miners in 1984 at the height of a year-long industrial dispute with Margaret Thatcher's government. More than 5,000 striking miners clashed with a similar number of riot police who had been drafted in from across the country at the Orgreave coking plant near Sheffield in northern England. It was one of the most violent scenes witnessed during a British industrial dispute, and also a pivotal moment in the strike, launched against Thatcher's moves to close money-losing pits. The miners ultimately lost the broader fight to save their industry. The police have long faced accusations of brutality and using excessive violence at Orgreave on June 18, 1984. TV footage showed charges by officers on horseback and one miner being repeatedly struck on the head with a baton. More than 120 people were injured and 95 miners initially arrested and charged with riot and violent disorder. Those charges were all later dropped after the evidence was dismissed. Campaigners have for years demanded to know who was responsible for the deployment of the large number of police and their tactics, as well as what happened to some official documents. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper — Britain's interior minister whose Labour party was in opposition at the time of the strike — said an inquiry headed by Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield, would be held to find out the truth. 'The violent scenes and subsequent prosecutions raised concerns that have been left unanswered for decades, and we must now establish what happened,' she said. Kate Flannery, the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign Secretary, said they needed to be sure that the inquiry had the powers to have unrestricted access to all government and police papers. 'We have waited a long time for this day and this is really positive news,' she said.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
UK to hold inquiry into miners strike 'Battle of Orgreave' four decades on
LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - Britain said on Monday it would hold an inquiry into the "Battle of Orgreave", a violent confrontation between police and striking coal miners in 1984 at the height of a year-long industrial dispute with Margaret Thatcher's government. More than 5,000 striking miners clashed with a similar number of riot police who had been drafted in from across the country at the Orgreave coking plant near Sheffield in northern England. It was one of the most violent scenes witnessed during a British industrial dispute, and also a pivotal moment in the strike, launched against Thatcher's moves to close money-losing pits. The miners ultimately lost the broader fight to save their industry. The police have long faced accusations of brutality and using excessive violence at Orgreave on June 18, 1984. TV footage showed charges by officers on horseback and one miner being repeatedly struck on the head with a baton. More than 120 people were injured and 95 miners initially arrested and charged with riot and violent disorder. Those charges were all later dropped after the evidence was dismissed. Campaigners have for years demanded to know who was responsible for the deployment of the large number of police and their tactics, as well as what happened to some official documents. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper - Britain's interior minister whose Labour party was in opposition at the time of the strike - said an inquiry headed by Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield, would be held to find out the truth. "The violent scenes and subsequent prosecutions raised concerns that have been left unanswered for decades, and we must now establish what happened," she said. Kate Flannery, the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign Secretary, said they needed to be sure that the inquiry had the powers to have unrestricted access to all government and police papers. "We have waited a long time for this day and this is really positive news," she said.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- CTV News
Man arrested in connection with 21-year-old killed in Quebec jail
Protestors gathered in downtown Montreal on Feb. 10, 2023 to demand justice for Nicous D'Andre Spring, a Black man who died while illegally detained at a Montreal jail in December 2022. (CTV News) Quebec provincial police (SQ) say they arrested a 54-year-old man in connection with the 2023 death of Nicous D'André Spring. The 21-year-old was severely injured on Christmas Eve when correctional officers at the Bordeaux jail put him in a spit hood after an altercation with another inmate. They then pepper sprayed him twice while still wearing the head covering. Spring was rushed to hospital and died of his injuries the next day. The 54-year-old was charged with involuntary homicide at the Montreal courthouse on Thursday. He was released and is expected to appear in court at a later date. CTV News has yet to confirm his identity. Spring's family, the Red Coalition and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association had demanded an inquiry into systemic racism in the provincial detention system after his death. Quebec's chief coroner also ordered a public inquiry to provide answers to the many unanswered questions the family had around Spring's death. Quebec's public safety ministry confirmed in 2023 that Spring had been unlawfully detained as he was supposed to be released from custody on Dec. 23. He was still in jail on the day of the Dec. 24 intervention, despite a judge authorizing his release. Montreal police arrested Spring on Dec. 20, 2023 on charges of assaulting a peace officer, criminal harassment and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He was also facing two counts of breach of a condition of release. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Telegraph
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Kenyan president orders police to shoot Gen Z protesters in the legs
Kenya's president has ordered police to shoot Gen Z protesters vandalising businesses in the legs, ensuring they are debilitated but not killed. William Ruto declared on Wednesday that 'anyone caught burning another person's business or property should be shot in the leg, hospitalised, and later taken to court. Don't kill them, but ensure their legs are broken'. The UN has accused Kenyan police of using excessive force, including live ammunition, tear gas and rubber bullets in the latest wave of anti-government protests, as simmering anger against Mr Ruto's government erupted into clashes between protesters and police in the capital Nairobi and other cities. He accused protesters of trying to 'bring disaster' to Kenya in a bid to overthrow the government before the 2027 elections. 'This country will not be destroyed by a few people who are impatient and who want a change of government using unconstitutional means. It is not going to happen,' Mr Ruto added. The escalation of violence is the latest in a wider wave of protests, initially led by so-called Gen Z dissenters angry at the state of the economy, corruption and police brutality. Last summer, young Kenyan professionals took to social media to call for a 'Gen Z uprising' over proposed tax rises, which triggered widespread anger in a country grappling with a significant youth unemployment crisis. Protesters briefly seized control of parliament and set it ablaze following a week of countrywide riots that killed at least 27 people. Mr Rito later pulled the tax plans. The latest tensions peaked last month when the death of blogger Albert Obwang in police custody sparked widespread outrage against Mr Ruto's government across the country, with rights groups demanding that police be held accountable after a post-mortem examination revealed the probable cause of death was from being hit on the head. A total of 50 people have died and hundreds have been injured in the past two weeks during two separate waves of demonstrations. At least 31 people were killed and more than 100 others wounded in protests on Monday alone, with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights also documenting at least 532 arrests and two forced disappearances. The UN criticised the Kenyan police for using 'lethal ammunition' against protesters and urged prompt thorough and independent investigations into the killings. Resistance leaders accused the government of deploying unmarked police vehicles to transport armed gangs to perceived opposition strongholds during the protests and called for a national boycott of all businesses affiliated with Mr Ruto's administration. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesman for the UN high commissioner for human rights, said in a news conference, 'It is essential that legitimate grievances at the root of these protests are addressed.' Mr Ruto has defended police brutality and on Wednesday said that attacks on security forces would be seen as a 'declaration of war'. 'You cannot sponsor violence and go scot-free,' he said, adding that 'Kenya cannot and will not be ruled through threats, terror, or chaos. Not under my watch'. Monday's protests were intended to commemorate Kenya's decades-long struggle for democracy – they fell on Saba Saba day, which in Swahili means 'Seven Seven', referring to the July 7 1990 protests – but they quickly escalated into deadly clashes in 17 out of the country's 47 counties, local media reported. Many of those demonstrating chanted 'Ruto must go' and 'wantam', meaning 'one term', a popular rallying call demanding Mr Ruto leave office. Mr Ruto has questioned why some Kenyans have been more critical of his administration than previous governments, claiming that the youth unemployment crisis was deep rooted and existed long before he came to power in 2022. He said that his administration was the first to take concrete steps to address it. 'Why cause all the chaos during my time?' Mr Ruto asked. 'You can call me whatever names you want to call me, but I will make sure there is peace and stability in Kenya.'
