Frances O’Grady’s speech to regional TUC
Below is an extract from Frances O’Grady’s speech to the regional TUC conference in Leeds, in which she mentions the Orgreave Truth and Justice campaign.
“And you’ve kept up the flag of justice flying for the Orgreave miners and their families.
“Make no mistake, the decision by the Independent Police Complaints Commission to drop its investigation was shameful. But it only doubles our determination to find out the truth.
“And I want to give you my personal assurance that the TUC will not rest until we what those miners and communities deserve – a full and independent public inquiry and justice for all.”
Marveljous – thee IPCC did not allow us to give evidence in the inquiry, although I registered an interest and what I find hard is the fact that Police Officers interviewed Police Officers, that fact alone points to collusion, I believe the IPCC should be disbandwd and a new body with the Power of Arrest should publically investigate Orgreave and every miner who was there should make a statement of what reallt happened.
That Morning the Police opened every roadblock in Yorkshire, the deployed Traffic Officers to Direct Miners to Orgreave whilst the falsely advised those attending that the M1 was close at the other side of Orgreave. Overnight the amassed thousands of riot clad Police Officers with the intention of violence and this will be confirmed if Officers, and Ambulance Officers were interviwed on Oath.
I was first arrested with unlawful assembly ,and released on bail late in the early hours the next day my first hearing,I was no 2 being heard the first a Scottish boy was kept on remand ,my charges were read out as gbh on two policemen ,one who suffered a broken hand ,I look at my solicitor and shrug bewildered he protests and the charges which appeared from thin air are dropped ,on my next hearing we find that unlawful assembly has changed to rioting which is a more serious charge ,my solicitor told me to expect 3 years at least