Orgreave Inquiry holds community listening events

People with a connection to the 1984 Battle of Orgreave are invited to attend community listening events to help the public inquiry into the dispute "understand its lasting impact".

Violence broke out between police officers and miners outside the Orgreave coking plant in Rotherham on 18 June 1984, in one of the pivotal moments of the 1984–85 miners' strike.

The independent Orgreave Inquiry, announced by the government in July 2025, will examine planning around the policing of the demonstration, events on the day itself and charging decisions following the arrests made.

Anyone connected to the incident is invited to attend listening events in Barnsley on 28 October and Durham on 12 November.

Orgreave Inquiry chair the Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox, Bishop of Sheffield, said: "The events at Orgreave affected many people in different ways, and those experiences continue to resonate more than 40 years on.

"We want to ensure that those voices are heard and understood.

"Whether you would like to share your own story, listen to others, ask questions about our work or simply find out more about the inquiry, I warmly encourage you to register and join us."

The events at Orgreave took place during the miners' strike which was sparked after the National Coal Board announced in March 1984 that it was shutting 20 UK collieries it said were unprofitable, resulting in the loss of at least 20,000 jobs.

More than three quarters of the country's 187,000 miners went on strike in response to the announcement.

The Orgreave Inquiry organisers said the events were about listening and conversation and were not a formal evidence-gathering exercise.

Stories heard will support the chair and panel's investigation into the events.

The events will take place at the National Union of Mineworkers offices on Huddersfield Road in Barnsley on 28 October, and at Redhills Durham Miners Hall on Flass St on 12 November.

Both will run from 10:00-17:00 GMT.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North