# Battle of the beanfield - anniversary



## Jelly (Jun 1, 2005)

Today is the 20th anniversary of the so-called Battle of the Beanfield.

On June 1st 1985, a convoy of new travellers, peace protestors, green activists and festival-goers set off from Savernake Forest in Wiltshire to establish the 12th annual free festival at Stonehenge. They never got there because eight miles from the Stones they were ambushed, assaulted and arrested en-masse by a quasi-military police force of over 1,300 officers drawn from six counties and the MoD.  420 men and women were arrested and charged, mostly, with unlawful assembly and obstruction, charges that are at complete odds with the violent intent of the police that day. After the event, records of police violence (film by Kim Sabido's team (for ITN) and Ben Gibson's (Observer) negatives) went missing.  

The police operation was brutal and, following from the miner's strike the previous year, had very political overtones.  Facts that emerged over the following decade point to, at best, an incredible ignorance, and lack of intelligence about the community the police ambushed. At worst, an intent on the deliberate suppression of a growing, and increasingly politicised, direct action, peace movement.  In subsequent attempts to justify their actions police claimed to have received information that the 'Peace Convoy' were prepared to take the stones by force and that there were weapons being carried.  These claims have repeatedly been shown to be false.

Years later, in a civil action, many travellers won their case against the police and were awarded damages in court.  However, the overtly biased judge then proceeded to award costs against the plaintiffs and the travellers ended with nothing.  No apology has ever been given.

In the words of Kim Sabido (ITN reporter at the time):

'It was barbaric, and I couldn’t quite come to terms with seeing police officers acting in this way, because, as I said, I’ve reported from a war, and it didn’t affect me that way, because people were there to fight, they were there to kill each other, and the pros and cons, everybody knows about them in a war, and it wasn’t such a shock. Seeing civilian police officers treating women with babies in their arms, people who weren’t armed as far as I could see, who were just trying to get out of this field, and they were being beaten – in some cases almost senseless – by police officers wielding batons, was a total culture shock to me.'

And the words of  Nick Davies (Observer at the time)

'One officer warned me to stay out of the field. He said, _‘My lads have been putting up with this lot for eleven years. They’ve had enough of it, and there’s going to be some heads cracked in there today'_...
This was the most undisciplined police operation I’ve ever seen – and I have quite often been in riots, and I have occasionally seen individual police officers blow it, but I have never seen an entire police operation run riot like that. It wasn’t a matter of law enforcement, it was a collective act of bullying.'

http://tash.gn.apc.org/sh_bean.htm  for story and loads of pics from Tash

http://www.squall.co.uk/squall.cfm/ses/sq=2001061806/ct=2  excellent article by Jim Carey of Squall

From me: a big thank you to all those who helped make the early 80's festival scene happen - you opened a young man's eyes and soul to a world of infinite possibilities and alternatives, a life changing experience that still lives with me today.


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## bluestreak (Jun 1, 2005)

lest we forget!


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## mr steev (Jun 1, 2005)

bluestreak said:
			
		

> lest we forget!



Indeed!

There's some stuff here , including 'Operation Solstice' too.

20 years!


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## ddraig (Jun 1, 2005)

thanks Jelly    

they can't stop us gathering, never will...


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## longdog (Jun 1, 2005)

ddraig said:
			
		

> they can't stop us gathering, never will...



Would that were true.

To paraphrase _The Oysterband_ "They've got no right but they've got the might".


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## scumbalina (Jun 1, 2005)

longdog said:
			
		

> Would that were true.
> 
> To paraphrase _The Oysterband_ "They've got no right but they've got the might".




They've got the guns, but we've got the numbers


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## bluestreak (Jun 1, 2005)

a pessimist speaks...

yeah, but have we really got the numbers?

how come a hundred football fans can over-run twice the amount of coppers, but thousands of protesters can be contained by a quarter of their number of police?


not that i want to derail this thread.  the beanfield is one of the great forgotten injustices of modern times.  treating people like that that was fucking wrong, and operation solstice should be compulsary viewing.


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## Jelly (Jun 1, 2005)

bluestreak said:
			
		

> a pessimist speaks...
> 
> yeah, but have we really got the numbers?
> 
> ...



I think the essence is that the vast majority of (peace) protestors are not into confrontation.  Whilst they might be more inclined to rip down fences and sabotage property they are not so inclined to bash a copper.  This was one of the ironies of the Beanfield - the police went in tooled up and hyped up to confront a bunch of people who were, largely, pacifists.


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## William of Walworth (Jun 1, 2005)

I'm going to hear Andy Worthington talk about this (20th anniversary of the Beanfield) next Tuesday evening. He's the author of the excellent, recommended 'Stonehenge : Celebration and subversion' (Loughborough : Alternative Albion, 2004, ISBN 1872883761 (pbk.)).

Details of this meeting when I can get hold of them ... it's 7:30 pm, next Tuesday, 7th June, and it's at the Pullens Centre, 184 (?) Crampton Street, Walworth, SE17 but I need to confirm that.

He's also talking at the Schnews Tent in the Green Activists' Corner at Strawberry Fair, Cambridge, this coming Saturday, 4th June, at 2 pm -- I think. (But check the blackboard at the Schnews Tent in advance of then, when you get there, you know how these things change at festies!)


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## William of Walworth (Jun 1, 2005)

Does anyone know if the full text of the excellent Nick Davies' article for the Observer in July (?) 1984, 'Anatomy of a Police Riot', is available _anywhere_ on line?

I can ask Andy W this on Tuesday, but I don't have an email address for Nick Davies (I don't think he's staff at the Guardian, just freelance?) and the text of the article is not, I think, on Tash's site -- not when I last looked anyway.


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## Wookey (Jun 1, 2005)

> In subsequent attempts to justify their actions police claimed to have received information that the 'Peace Convoy' were prepared to take the stones by force



And I wonder how many thick-arse journalists sat at the press conference and allowed the bullying little police shits to say something as fucking stupid as that....

Loaded down with ropes and pre-historic tree trunks, were they?


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## William of Walworth (Jun 1, 2005)

Wookey said:
			
		

> And I wonder how many thick-arse journalists sat at the press conference and allowed the bullying little police shits to say something as fucking stupid as that....
> 
> Loaded down with ropes and pre-historic tree trunks, were they?



Not many journalists seemed to question the Police in those days, unsurprisingly, but Nick Davies was one. He did great work. I've seen him interviewed on the BBC3 Stonehenge documentary a few months ago (this has probably been archived on Tash's site, but I don't know), and on one of the bit torrent links of another video interview on Tash's site, and he knew his stuff.


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## Wookey (Jun 1, 2005)

> Not many journalists seemed to question the Police in those days,



I hope that's changed.


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## Jelly (Jun 1, 2005)

Wookey said:
			
		

> And I wonder how many thick-arse journalists sat at the press conference and allowed the bullying little police shits to say something as fucking stupid as that....
> 
> Loaded down with ropes and pre-historic tree trunks, were they?




It's worse than that - the vast majority of all the press that were there spent the whole day allowing themselves to be shepherded (sp?) around, went where they were told, took the press releases from English Heritage and Wiltshire Constabulary and repeated them verbatim.  The only press than managed to get into the beanfield had to do it by stealth: Tim Malyon, Ben Gibson, Nick Davies and Kim Sabido's crew are the only ones i can thnk of right now who did get in to film the actual events.


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## William of Walworth (Jun 1, 2005)

Sabido has given good testimony as to how some of the original footage was 'destroyed'/'lost' in the ITC News archives -- I think info on this is on Tash's site.


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## Wookey (Jun 1, 2005)

> It's worse than that - the vast majority of all the press that were there spent the whole day allowing themselves to be shepherded



That's the problem. The journos believed (wanted to believe?) the police when they said it was for their own safety.

I wonder if high-index digital cameras would make it a different proposition nowadays? You can be a mile away from the scene and still capture clear face shots.

Good on Nick Davies et al, for doing what they are paid to do. Press release journos still exist, unfortunately.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I am glad I read up on it.


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## IPRN (Jun 1, 2005)

I've never forgiven the National Trust for all the lies they told.

My own recollection from the previous year's summer solstice is that only a couple of hundred people bothered to cross the road (from the festival site) at dawn anyway (you couldn't get to them any other day.) There weren't many people there all day. The stones didn't get 'damaged' because the low ones in the centre were coverered up with tarps, and I only saw one person climb on top.

Bastards!


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## Wookey (Jun 1, 2005)

My big brother Stone was a traveller way back, and he always wore a badge saying "Don't trust the National Trust" - and I'm beginning to see why.


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## Jelly (Jun 1, 2005)

Wookey said:
			
		

> Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I am glad I read up on it.



 
Following on from William's comment - Andy Worthington has a new book out in a couple of weeks with a lot of previously unpublished material about the Beanfield events including interviews with Kim Sabido, Nick Davies, Neil Goodwin (maker of Operation Solstice), the Earl of Cardigan, Lord Gifford (for the Plaintiffs at the civil case), a few travs and Deputy Chief Constable Ian Readhead (a commander on the ground on the day).  I'll post or pm isbn details etc when i get the info.


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## Rune (Jun 1, 2005)

I ended up in the salisbury police station carpark, where some of the travellers' vehicles were afterwards. Just about every window of every vehicle had been smashed in. And to think that there were young kids in there, trying to hide and not get caught. When I saw them, I looked at one of my accompaying coppers in the eye. At least he had the grace to look ashamed.


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## Jelly (Jun 1, 2005)

Rune said:
			
		

> I ended up in the salisbury police station carpark, where some of the travellers' vehicles were afterwards. Just about every window of every vehicle had been smashed in. And to think that there were young kids in there, trying to hide and not get caught. When I saw them, I looked at one of my accompaying coppers in the eye. At least he had the grace to look ashamed.



Indeed.  Most of the travellers homes ended up in this state.


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## Idris2002 (Jun 1, 2005)

That's what I remember. (on the telly)

A guy being marched up the road in his bare feet, saying to a peeler, 'my home's been destroyed. Do you have a home to go to tonight?'


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## longdog (Jun 1, 2005)

I have the "Timeshift" NAT documentary which is in part at least about the battle of the beanfield I'd be happy to burn to CD if anyone wants it.

I can put the 'Operation Solstice' documentary files on too but they are very low video frame rate, still watchable mind you.

PM me if you want one and I'll send one out.


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## William of Walworth (Jun 1, 2005)

longdog said:
			
		

> I have the "Timeshift" NAT documentary which is in part at least about the battle of the beanfield I'd be happy to burn to CD if anyone wants it.
> 
> I can put the 'Operation Solstice' documentary files on too but they are very low video frame rate, still watchable mind you.
> 
> PM me if you want one and I'll send one out.



Not sure whether we'd be able to view this Timeshift CD on Stig's PC but I'd be interested when I get time -- will PM you later. Or is it bit torrented on Tash's site?? 

The other one (Operation Solstice) will probably have to wait til it's available in higher resolution form I guess ...


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## William of Walworth (Jun 1, 2005)

Jelly said:
			
		

> Following on from William's comment - Andy Worthington has a new book out in a couple of weeks with a lot of previously unpublished material about the Beanfield events including interviews with Kim Sabido, Nick Davies, Neil Goodwin (maker of Operation Solstice), the Earl of Cardigan, Lord Gifford (for the Plaintiffs at the civil case), a few travs and Deputy Chief Constable Ian Readhead (a commander on the ground on the day).  I'll post or pm isbn details etc when i get the info.



If you don't manage to get details before Tuesday, Jelly, I'll ask Andy W about it then


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## longdog (Jun 1, 2005)

William of Walworth said:
			
		

> Not sure whether we'd be able to view this Timeshift CD on Stig's PC but I'd be interested when I get time -- will PM you later. Or is it bit torrented on Tash's site??




I still have your VHS tape of the Timeshift programme


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## Ground Elder (Jun 1, 2005)

Tash was kind enough to burn me a copy of most of the films he's got streamed on his site -
http://tash.dns2go.com/Vtape-main_320x240.htm - quality's not great, but it's watchable. If anyone wants a copy let me know.

I've just realised there's still loads of stuff on the disc I've yet to watch


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## Stig (Jun 1, 2005)

*W of W posting*




			
				longdog said:
			
		

> I still have your VHS tape of the Timeshift programme



(W of W posting)

OK! Had completely forgotten I'd seen that one. No need for the CD version then  

Hang onto it for as long as you want, we can get it back whenever ... 

W of W


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## William of Walworth (Jun 1, 2005)

Proper details of Andy Worthington's imminent appearances to talk about the 20th anniversary of the Beanfield :




			
				email sent by Andy Worthington to the 'Pagan Warriors' list said:
			
		

> Thursday 2 June, 8.30 pm. Woodruffs Organic Café, 24 High Street, Stroud (part of the Stroud 05 Arts Festival). On the opening night of the touring exhibition of photos of the Stonehenge festivals, the Beanfield, and the years of exclusion (which runs until 30 June), Andy will be showing the 1991 Beanfield documentary ‘Operation Solstice’, and talking about ‘The legacy of the Beanfield.’ Entry £2.
> 
> Saturday 4 June, 2 pm. SchNEWS tent [Green Activists corner -- W of W], Strawberry Fair, Cambridge. Andy will give a talk on ‘The Battle of the Beanfield’, illustrated with a selection of projected images. Entry free.
> 
> ...


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## reallyoldhippy (Jun 1, 2005)

One of the best bits of TV programming I've ever seen was the showing back-to-back of half hour documentaries on the Beanfield and Orgreave. Inspired. And unusual.

I'm glad to say that my community offered shelter and aid to the refugees of the Beanfield in the same generous way as they treat other refugees from round the world.






			
				Wookey said:
			
		

> > Not many journalists seemed to question the Police in those days,
> 
> 
> I hope that's changed.


What planet are you living on?


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## Wookey (Jun 1, 2005)

> What planet are you living on?



THIS ONE


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## reallyoldhippy (Jun 1, 2005)

Wookey said:
			
		

> THIS ONE


Explains a lot.


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## Main Street (Jun 2, 2005)

Thank you for starting this thread


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## Main Street (Jun 2, 2005)

bluestreak said:
			
		

> a pessimist speaks...
> 
> yeah, but have we really got the numbers?
> 
> ...



Okay, no wish to derail thread either. I have been listening to that Radio 4 piece for a bit and it is really disturbing.

However on a peace march or the like this kind of thing doesn't happen cos its out of the public eye but when the police know they are not being watched then all hell breaks loose.
I've had a few close calls on demos in London and I have also seen moments when the police have realised and we have realised our collective strength, but I have never been in a situation where that realisation has then been used to beat the crap out of the police. That is going to another level.

But that is what the police do given the opportunity of anonymity is go to that next level, Beanfield, Miners strikes, Wapping, May Day, and these are just in recent memory. The police I am guessing at Beanfield must have been pysched up and stirred into anger by their superiors on the day. That is not how to run a police force or govern society. Then again that's why society has to change.

This thread is a very timely reminder. I am grateful for the information posted by others and if my words and this line is not the right place, then we can go to a new thread. 

Ever since I first heard that Levellers song, I have been aware of Beanfield, but that Radio 4 piece has really jolted me. 

I'll be back later


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## Giles (Jun 2, 2005)

I remember watching the almost live ITN report from the Beanfield, and was as shocked as the reporter clearly was.

I know a lot of stuff did not get shown later, but the late afternoon news DID show a lot (before anyone thought to censor it) and the cops were going MAD.

I was only about 16, and I had never seen anything like it on TV   ....  people were trying to drive their buses out of the way and the police were just smashing the windows, even throwing their own shields through windscreens.

Pulling people out of vehicles by the hair, including a pregnant woman. Victims staggering around with blood pouring from cut heads. Going back to smash up vehicles for no reason other than "because they could" and presumably, because they had been told to, to f*** up the travellers so they could not carry on living this way.

I remember Kim Sabido's breathless report, saying he'd never seen UK police behave like that. I certainly hadn't. Even stuff that made the TV the year before from the miners strike, yes, there were full-on riots and police brutality, and I'm not taking sides here, but mostly the cops were fighting a rival "army" who were largely as up for it as they were. 

But this was more horrific because they were smashing up women, kids, peoples homes, and they were not dealing with a violent opposition at all.

I'm not at all surprised that there was a big attempt to cover up what went on.

It was one of those things that if you saw it, you wouldn't forget it, and wished that you'd taped (especially with hindsight cos they did not show a lot of it later and footage strangley "disappeared".

At least now if something is on TV, you can be sure that so many people will record it that the PTB can't make things "disappear" so easily.

I wish I had all that was shown on TV on videotape, it was, and still is, one of the most outrageous things I've seen happen in the UK.

Giles..


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## Phototropic (Jun 2, 2005)

What a fucking disturbing peice of recent history 

Really interesting thread.


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## Jelly (Jun 2, 2005)

Giles said:
			
		

> At least now if something is on TV, you can be sure that so many people will record it that the PTB can't make things "disappear" so easily.
> 
> I wish I had all that was shown on TV on videotape, it was, and still is, one of the most outrageous things I've seen happen in the UK.
> 
> Giles..



Kam Sabido is quoted as saying he thinks it was an act of self-censorship by the bigwigs at ITN.

This is the Rastabus - the last bus to stop moving in the field that day.

The Earl of Cardigan:
_Unfortunately, that last bus had been the one that had been keeping them going longest, and briefly, when the police got into that bus – in my opinion, from close range – they briefly lost the control that they’d held that afternoon. All their pent-up frustration and adrenalin of the afternoon was vented on the occupants of that last one bus, and the violence that was shown to the occupants was appalling. The truncheons were rising and falling on their bodies like no one’s business. It was – very briefly – very ghastly to see._


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## Main Street (Jun 2, 2005)

Ground Elder said:
			
		

> Tash was kind enough to burn me a copy of most of the films he's got streamed on his site -
> http://tash.dns2go.com/Vtape-main_320x240.htm - quality's not great, but it's watchable. If anyone wants a copy let me know.
> 
> I've just realised there's still loads of stuff on the disc I've yet to watch




I have to say that I think this is probably one of the most valueable posts I have ever read on U75 on probably one of the greatest threads that I have ever visited.

Thanks to all concerned. I think in part there's some answers here, that I had quite forgotten, to questions I now have and have posed on other threads.

There's a comment on the 'Pump up the Volume' thing at the end where someone says that inadvertently people had reacted to Thatcher's "there's no society", with a version of society. Feeling very inspired right now but having to deal with reality which for me right now is no job, little money and an uncertain future. No complaints.


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## Pingu (Jun 2, 2005)

I was 18/19 at the time and a bit of a weekend warrior.

I had just left college (got kicked out) and it was sunny. Mate have a van and we were into hawkwind and erm...stuff.

free festies and wango riley loomed. All was good in the pingu world

to me at that time the whole travelling thing was very "romantic" and appealing.

that year we were stopped just south of birmingham and turned back. Saw the beanfield stuff on the news that evening. Romanticism vanished in one few min news item. Free festies, getting tanked up and being a rebel was one thing, having the shit kicked out of you by coppers was something else entirely. 

We knew a few of the people who were at the beanfield (names probably wont mean much to anyone but to us they were known as Grizz, monkey, wiggy, spanners and Neil*) and they were different people afterwards. I dont even think they were involved in the thick of it either.

20 years has gone by so fast...


* neil never had a nickname for some reason, short bloke originally from Cape town. well sound guy. sadly he killed himself a few years back


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## Main Street (Jun 2, 2005)

A way of life was violently suppressed. Looking at some of the images really just makes me think that the coppers on the day were behaving in a fascist manner.

I have no evidence for this but the orders must have come from on high. 'Defeat this lifestyle.'


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## reallyoldhippy (Jun 2, 2005)

Main Street said:
			
		

> I have no evidence for this but the orders must have come from on high. 'Defeat this lifestyle.'


Of course it did. What else would you do with "medieval brigands"?


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## Jelly (Jun 2, 2005)

Pingu said:
			
		

> I was 18/19 at the time and a bit of a weekend warrior.
> 
> I had just left college (got kicked out) and it was sunny. Mate have a van and we were into hawkwind and erm...stuff.



Exactly the same here - i was just discovering this amazing world when it had the shit kicked out of it.  Continued to go to the declining free fezzie scene all throughout the rest of the 80s but it wasn't quite the same as 82/3/4.   

Remember the Enid, Pink Faries and Gong?  God they were crap... but somehow wonderful at the same time  

Had a bit of a renaissance in the early 90s when the acid house crews discovered the wonders of dancing in fields but it had a different flavour then.

Any hooo - by popular demand here's another pic to get your gander up. This one's particularly dangerous - i reckon that might be a cleverly disguised molotov she's got in her arms


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## Pingu (Jun 2, 2005)

since finding out its been 20 years (on one of the travellers threads) I have been doing a lot of introspection and looking at where my life has gone.

I am actually ashamed at the direction my life took, I am currently wondering what happened to some of the values I used to hold in such high esteem and just when it was that I sold them out.

had the beanfield not happened (and lots of other ifs tbh) who knows, I would be poorer (cash wise) but probably alot richer in other ways.

fuck it...


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## Jelly (Jun 2, 2005)

Main Street said:
			
		

> A way of life was violently suppressed. Looking at some of the images really just makes me think that the coppers on the day were behaving in a fascist manner.
> 
> I have no evidence for this but the orders must have come from on high. 'Defeat this lifestyle.'




Have you read Jim Carey's article (link posted up earlier)?
It put's the whole beanfield action into perspective with the growing anti-nuclear movement, the miner's strike and the effects of Thatcherism in general.  Check out Tash's website thouroughly - he's a little disorganised but if you persevere there are some amazing stories and insights into the whole attitude of the police and authorities to this particular sub-culture, particularly operation snapshot which Tash had some very personal encounters with.


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## Jelly (Jun 2, 2005)

Pingu said:
			
		

> since finding out its been 20 years (on one of the travellers threads) I have been doing a lot of introspection and looking at where my life has gone.
> 
> I am actually ashamed at the direction my life took, I am currently wondering what happened to some of the values I used to hold in such high esteem and just when it was that I sold them out.
> 
> ...



Hey - don't be so harsh on yerself (unless you're working on futures in the city etc   )

Is it too late to change - even slowly?


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## AndyJ (Jun 2, 2005)

Thanks to everybody for posting the info on this thread.  Everybody needs to remember / learn about events like this; to stop the cultural mindset of intolerance getting the upper hand.  (Although that sometimes seems like a forlorn hope in our increasingly controlled society.)


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## William of Walworth (Jun 2, 2005)

Jelly said:
			
		

> http://tash.gn.apc.org/sh_bean.htm  for story and loads of pics from Tash
> 
> http://www.squall.co.uk/squall.cfm/ses/sq=2001061806/ct=2  excellent article by Jim Carey of Squall



I'd read all the Tash stuff a few years back, well worth another look, but Jim Carey's Squall article is new to me and I think EVERYONE interested in this thread should read it if they haven't already! 

I just have and it's fascinating .... horrifying in places too ,...


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## William of Walworth (Jun 2, 2005)

Also wanted to pay respect to Giles' post earlier. Excellent, and around that time I shared his horrrified reaction ...


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## Jelly (Jun 2, 2005)

William of Walworth said:
			
		

> I'd read all the Tash stuff a few years back, well worth another look, but Jim Carey's Squall article is new to me and I think EVERYONE interested in this thread should read it if they haven't already!
> 
> I just have and it's fascinating .... horrifying in places too ,...




Yep - it's a shame that it's uppercase - makes it difficult to read. There is this version of it http://dreamflesh.com/essays/crimculture/ which, although i haven't read all, looks to be an unedited version of the original.


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## William of Walworth (Jun 2, 2005)

Good version -- excellent -- thankyou.


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## Ground Elder (Jun 2, 2005)

20 years later 


> After speaking to the travellers Insp Dawson said: "They said they would move on if I apologised for the police actions at the Battle of the Beanfield.
> "I said to them that if they felt they had been mistreated then I was sorry and they appeared happy with that."



Make of that what you will...


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## AndyJ (Jun 2, 2005)

William of Walworth said:
			
		

> I'd read all the Tash stuff a few years back, well worth another look, but Jim Carey's Squall article is new to me and I think EVERYONE interested in this thread should read it if they haven't already!
> 
> I just have and it's fascinating .... horrifying in places too ,...



Yep.  Sure is.


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## Jelly (Jun 2, 2005)

Ground Elder said:
			
		

> 20 years later
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The police only managed to sustain 70 out of 500 charges brought against the travs at the subsequent trials.  And the vast majority of those 70 were for very minor offences of obstruction where the defendants pleaded guilty. The people who pleaded not guilty were, with very minor exceptions, acquitted. There was only one case where someone pleaded not guilty and was convicted. In all other cases, people who pleaded not guilty were either acquitted by the magistrates – or sometimes on appeal by the judge – or the charges were dropped against them. 

And still no real apology or admission of responsibility.

Time for another pic.


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## William of Walworth (Jun 2, 2005)

Where are you sourcing all these pix from Jelly? Is there an archive ... cheers for cheeky blag of info! 

<too lazy/stoned to click properties mode   >


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## Main Street (Jun 2, 2005)

Pingu said:
			
		

> since finding out its been 20 years (on one of the travellers threads) I have been doing a lot of introspection and looking at where my life has gone.
> 
> I am actually ashamed at the direction my life took, I am currently wondering what happened to some of the values I used to hold in such high esteem and just when it was that I sold them out.
> 
> ...



At least you are doing the introspection. That's a good thing. There are plenty of people, myself included that think we in a way have sold out and forgotten values, but my lows are soon followed by realisations of the achievements and things that I have done that I know have had a positive impact on other people's lives. My lifestyle can't be measured like Mr and Mrs Jones with their mortgaged place, three kids, car, dog  but don't get me wrong I aint criticising that way of life.

I really think that if you're not stepping on other people or knowlingly destroying the local or global environment and are genuinely trying to live a life that is harmonious to those around you and the planet then you are on the right track. 

The above might even sound pompous but shit I know that I have stepped back at times in my life and said I don't like that route or that route can have a positive result. I have been in good places too where I have learnt things off people that you could never learn in a class room. I'm sure half the posters on U75 can say that. I really don't know the way forward but I know I don't like Blair's agenda or Bush or id cards or working hard to an early grave. There has to be more. I think just by taking a look at some of the g8 threads and the posts there show that folks are thinking of alternatives and are prepared to act on them. 

Looking back at Beanfield, I don't think there can be any clearer illustration of what the state is prepared to do, when people start thinking for themselves and thinking outside of the box and living a different way of life. My respect for authority has always been thinly veiled but now after reading some of this stuff, listening and viewing some of those links well I'm sorry Officer XX - if you put on the uniform then you've got to accept my response to that is not going to be one of respect. It can never be post Beanfield. Those attacks on women and men with children and babies is sick. 
At the same time I'm not about to clobber a copper. 

To sum up, Pingu, I know life is tough and the thought of a different life is tougher and acting out to live that is even tougher but it aint impossible. Even if you do it in small steps. It just that some things happen in life, some prepared, others by chance that alter your view faster (but that really is a separate thread)

Main Street, still learning to take the small steps too


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## Ground Elder (Jun 2, 2005)

> And still no real apology or admission of responsibility.


Why expect an apology anyway? Will it make it any better?

A couple of years back my partner gave a talk on New Travellers at a conference attended by high ranking representatives of Devon and Cornwall police. They were most upset about references to the Beanfields and went as far as to claim that it never happened   

An apology could take the form of adequate site provision and MOT exemption on all live-in vehicles


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## ddraig (Jun 2, 2005)

Jelly said:
			
		

> Kam Sabido is quoted as saying he thinks it was an act of self-censorship by the bigwigs at ITN.



that radio4 piece is both very horrible and essential to listen to
brutal
 
<cries>


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## William of Walworth (Jun 3, 2005)

ddraig said:
			
		

> that radio4 piece is both very horrible and essential to listen to
> brutal
> 
> <cries>



Have I missed a link to that, earlier in the thread?? Sorry ...


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## William of Walworth (Jun 3, 2005)

Ground Elder said:
			
		

> An apology could take the form of adequate site provision and MOT exemption on all live-in vehicles



Sounds good -- but how would the MOT exemption thing work, given that they will need to move around at times, and safely?   

Genuine question


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## Ground Elder (Jun 3, 2005)

> Sounds good -- but how would the MOT exemption thing work, given that they will need to move around at times, and safely?


 'twas a joke    

The Radio 4 programme was from the _In Living Memory_ series and broadcast a year or so ago - it can be found here.


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## William of Walworth (Jun 3, 2005)

Ground Elder said:
			
		

> 'twas a joke



OK, missed it ...... it's not that I haven't seen a fair few vehicles who'd need that exemption!! 



> The Radio 4 programme was from the _In Living Memory_ series and broadcast a year or so ago - it can be found here.




Cheers! 

Will listen after the weekend


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## Neil-NewX (Jun 3, 2005)

Just to confirm - Andy Worthington's talk on the Battle of the Beanfield is 7:30, Tuesday June 7th, Pullens Cenre,  184 Crampton St Walworth SE17,
Admission Free. Map here


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## William of Walworth (Jun 3, 2005)

Stig and I will be there -- it's right in MY  SE17 MANOR and dead near both my flat and the pub ...


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## FreddyB (Jun 3, 2005)

Ground Elder said:
			
		

> 'twas a joke
> 
> The Radio 4 programme was from the _In Living Memory_ series and broadcast a year or so ago - it can be found here.




Just listened to that, Lord Cardigan talking about seeing a copper hitting a woman who he described as being at least 8 months pregnant with a batton


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## Ground Elder (Jun 3, 2005)

My highlight from R4 programme is the farmer implying that the convoy was some kind of communist backed plot, based on the fact that he found a Russian made watch in the field afterwards


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## AndyJ (Jun 3, 2005)

Yes, a fascinating and powerful program.  That farmer's comments on the Russian-made watch really were kind of odd weren't they!?

It seems a little difficult to pass unbiased comment on such an emotive event, especially when the vast majority of us weren't there in person, but everything I've ever read or seen about the events of the Beanfield, suggest that the police went on a chaotic rampage.

The inspector in the Radio 4 program tried to justify the force's actions, by suggesting that offences HAD been committed, and that something HAD to be done to bring the culprits to account.  In the face of "intransigence" (my word) from the travellers, and what the police perceived to be an imminent rush for Stonehenge, they felt they HAD to physically immobilise vehicles and apprehend people by force.  Whatever ill you may think of the police, I'm sure it was very difficult situation to try and resolve, and I'm sure most of us would struggle to act in what could retrospectively be shown to be the perfect course of action.

I'm certainly not trying to be an apologist for the police here, since the vast majority of the media I've seen or heard showed the violence committed by the police, to be disproportionate.

Does anybody think we could have a similar confrontation again?  Does the pervasion of mobile phones and mobile video phones make it very difficult for authorities to act in such a high-handed manner, away from the light of the media, or have the criminal justice and public order acts actually made it easier for this to happen again?


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## topaz (Jun 3, 2005)

something similar happens at free parties a lot.  i know people that are still scarred from the beanfield, it was absolutely horrendous.  but don't kid yourself, the fascist police are still out there, and where it's filmed or pictures taken, they stop cars on the way out and confiscate them.... happened last year in north wales, a peaceful rave but the police got out of hand. 

www.rat-on-a-pig.co.uk


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## William of Walworth (Jun 3, 2005)

AndyJ said:
			
		

> everything I've ever read or seen about the events of the Beanfield, suggest that the police went on a chaotic rampage.



Absolutely -- no wonder Nick Davies called his Observer article, back in July 1984, 'Anatomy of  a Police Riot'

I would REALLY like to see the full text of that article, but it seems completely ungoogleable.

Can anyone help??


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## Pingu (Jun 3, 2005)

cheers doggy

If its cool with you I will upload the stuff on the CD so others can download it

editied as its gonna take ages at the rate they are ftping so will add link in when its finished


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## Pingu (Jun 4, 2005)

k they can be downloaded from

here

if I can be arsed i will do an interface thing later but dont hold your breath


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## AndyJ (Jun 4, 2005)

Thanks for doing that Pingu.


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## Ground Elder (Jun 4, 2005)

*The Battle of the Beanfield* - _edited by Andy Worthington, with photos and contributions by Alan Lodge, Tim Malyon, Neil Goodwin and Gareth Morris, Alan Dearling and others_

ISBN 0-9523316-6-7 

240 pages, including over 70 images.

£12.95 + £2.00 p & p. Cheques payable to Enabler Publications.

_Enabler Publications, 16 Bitton Avenue, Teignmouth, Devon. TQ14 8HD._

Out in time for the Solstice


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## William of Walworth (Jun 6, 2005)

Cheers for that GE -- presumably not yet out then, but I will definitely buy it when it is ...

Thread bumped as Andy Worthiongton's talk in Walworth is tomorrow ...


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## William of Walworth (Jun 6, 2005)

Pingu said:
			
		

> k they can be downloaded from
> 
> here
> 
> if I can be arsed i will do an interface thing later but dont hold your breath



Sorry to be crap, but how do those 'wmv' files work???


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## longdog (Jun 6, 2005)

William of Walworth said:
			
		

> Sorry to be crap, but how do those 'wmv' files work???




In Internet Explorer: _Right click --> Save Target As_ and then when you've downloaded the file it should open in windows media player if you double click on it.


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## mjelly (Jun 6, 2005)

Pingu said:
			
		

> k they can be downloaded from
> 
> here
> 
> if I can be arsed i will do an interface thing later but dont hold your breath



Good egg - been after those documentaries for over 10 years.  Thanks for putting them up.


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## William of Walworth (Jun 8, 2005)

longdog said:
			
		

> In Internet Explorer: _Right click --> Save Target As_ and then when you've downloaded the file it should open in windows media player if you double click on it.



Cheers for that. I've actually seen the Operation Solstice tape now -- at Andy Worthington's (fascinating) tak last night. The version I saw was a master copy brought along by the director, Gareth Morris, who was also at the talk last night to answer questions. The tape was the 45 minute version that when broadcast by C4 in 1991, was edited (by the director, not by C4) to 30 minutes -- so we got the full version with all background, interviews, etc. uncut.

Is the net version 45 minutes??

It was excellent, and very affecting and anger-making ....

Andy Worthington's talk afterwards was a brief tour d'horizon of the history of the Travellers since 1985 (the theme of a lot of his book, out next week). He made a lot of links between Travellers post Beanfield whose history as marginalised and demonised people large parts of  whose community broke up, is pretty tragic (see Tash's site). But he also mentioned Traveller involvement in rave culture (Castlemorton, etc.) and some links between them and the 1990s wave of road protests. He also had plenty to say on the anti-libertarian public order legislation of the 1980s, the 1990s (Criminal Justice Act, 1994) and now (forthcoming ID card legislation)

Andy and Gareth came to the pub afterwards and chatted with us -- they are both fascinating blokes with a deep interest in and knowledge of countercultural history. They were very interested in Stig's views on road protests!

Great evening. Hope to buy the book at Glastonbury, here Andy Worthington will be appearing to do a launch somewhere in the Green Fields.


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## black dwarf (Jun 8, 2005)

This is a very sad thread  

I remember the Battle of the Beanfield clearly, well, watching it on telly at least. I remember the impotent rage...

Thing is, at the time, I'm ashamed to say I only saw it one way really. I saw it as the end of a certain sort of hippy/counter cultural defiance...In that highly-politicised climate there was no way pold were going to allow a convoy of 150 vehicles to roam freely round the CA 'heartlands' of Wiltshire/Somerset etc. The hippys, I thought, dead that day, and the Thatcherites in the ascendancy.

You know, 20 years on it doesn't look like that at all   That lifestyle has been far more tenacious, far harder to eradicate than could have possibly been imagined that day. The idea of personal liberty/getting closer to the earth - if it doesn't affect property values or frighten the sheep - is one that is far more widely held, more _respectacle _ even, than the full-on undiluted Thatcher values of the time  

Who knows what it will be like in 20 years time? With huge parts of the Dorset coast disappeared as a result of coastal flooding. Hippy hands will have been strengthened yet further.

Up hippys


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## Jelly (Jun 8, 2005)

up the hippys indeed   

Slightly surreal:


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## Ground Elder (Jun 9, 2005)

*Fun day out for all the family:*

Everyone else has had a plug and now it's my turn 

 ‘ Promoting & supporting the rights of Gypsies and Travellers in Cornwall ’

Conference
“Breaking Barriers, Shifting Cultures”

Headland Hotel, Newquay, Cornwall
29th June  9.00 - 4.00

Opening remarks: The Rt Revd Bill Ind, Bishop of Truro

Keynote Speaker
Andrew Ryder
Coordinator of the Traveller Law Reform Coalition
Winners of the Liberty Human Rights Award

Speakers include
Angus Murdoch Community Law Partnership
Maggie Smith-Bendall  Romani Gypsy Liaison Officer
Acting Inspector Nick Williams Metropolitan Police Diversity Directorate
Jake Bowers Romani Journalist
Rebecca Holt Health Visitor for Travelling Families


The Gypsy and Traveller communities in the UK experience widespread deprivation, social exclusion and discrimination. The lack of provision of suitable sites for Gypsies and Travellers is the root cause of most of the difficulties they face today.

This conference will bring together practitioners in the areas of law, planning, health, social services, education & racial equality who have national recognition to address these issues.

Workshops to improve quality of life 
In the afternoon there will be an opportunity for statutory and non-statutory agencies who work with the Traveller communities in Cornwall to develop best practice and share their views.

Conference fee: £50   Free to Travellers

Crèche facilities can be made available if booked in advance

Enquiries to Ginny Harrison-White/Michele Lee 01726 77113 gharrisonwhite@cornwall.gov.uk


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## William of Walworth (Jun 30, 2005)

Ground Elder and Jelly and others -- have you had a chance to get hold of the BOOK yet?

I got it at Glasto, Andy Worthington was promoting it in the Groovy Movie tent there (with another showing of 'Operation Solstice').

I've been reading it since I got back, and it's thorough, excellently researched, excellently put together an excelent, and with an awful lot of pix not all of which you may have seen yet.

The Nick Davies, Lord Cardigan and Lord Gifford interviews were particularly good and some good ones with Travellers too. The interview with a copper who was thee (now deputy Chief Constable of Hampshire) was quite revealing too!

Light editorial touch from AW, although he does a pretty good introduction and conclusion.

BUY this book SOON if you haven't already. Thoroughly recommended. Only £12=


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