Battle of the Beanfield 20th anniversary - Events
Andy Worthington | 02.06.2005 14:39 | Culture | History | Repression | Social Struggles
Wednesday June 1st 2005 was the 20th anniversary of the Battle of the Beanfield. For those who are unaware of this dark day for British justice and civil liberties, the Battle of the Beanfield took place after a convoy of 140 travellers’ vehicles, containing around 450 men
The Battle of the Beanfield 20th anniversary - events
Wednesday June 1st 2005 was the 20th anniversary of the Battle of the Beanfield. For those who are unaware of this dark day for British justice and civil liberties, the Battle of the Beanfield took place after a convoy of 140 travellers’ vehicles, containing around 450 men, women and children – including travellers, peace protestors, green activists and festival-goers – had set off from Savernake Forest in Wiltshire to establish the 12th annual free festival at Stonehenge.
They never reached their destination. Eight miles from the Stones they were ambushed, assaulted and arrested with unprecedented brutality by a quasi-military police force of over 1,300 officers drawn from six counties and the MoD. The Stonehenge festival came to an end, and the travellers’ entire way of life was now under threat as the state prepared to introduce new legislation that would aid them in their mission to ‘decommission’ the travellers’ movement and the free festival circuit that sustained it.
To mark the anniversary, Andy has also put together a number of events:
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, Strawberry Fair, Cambridge. Andy will give a talk on ‘The Battle of the Beanfield’, illustrated with a selection of projected images. Entry free.
Tuesday 7 June, 7.30 pm. South London Radical History Group, Pullens Centre, 184 Crampton St, Elephant and Castle, London SE17. Andy will be showing ‘Operation Solstice’ and talking about ‘The legacy of the Beanfield.’ Entry free.
Saturday 11 June, 3-8 pm. South East London Folklore Society (SELFS) at the Brockley Jack Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, London SE4 (part of the Brockley Max Arts Festival). Andy will be talking about ‘The Battle of the Beanfield’ as part of this day of talks. Other speakers include Steve Wilson, Scott Wood and Neil Gordon-Orr. Entry free.
To mark the occasion, Enabler Publications is issuing the first full-length book about the subject: The Battle of the Beanfield. Edited by Andy Worthington, with photos and contributions by Alan Lodge, Tim Malyon, Neil Goodwin, Gareth Morris, Alan Dearling and others, the book will be published in time for the summer solstice.
The Battle of the Beanfield features in-depth interviews with a range of people who were there on the day, including travellers, journalists, landowners and the police, extracts from the police radio log, a hundred photos (including many which have rarely been seen before), chapters on the 1991 Beanfield trial, a description of the making of the documentary ‘Operation Solstice’, and chapters which set the events of the Beanfield in context. These look at the evolution of the free festival scene, new travellers, convoys and peace protestors, ‘raves’ and road protests, the campaigns for access to Stonehenge, and the wider implications of the events of the Beanfield,
through increasingly draconian legislation, on civil liberties in the UK. Copies can be pre-ordered for £12.95 plus £2 P+P from Enabler Publications, 16 Bitton Avenue, Teignmouth, Devon, TQ14 8HD. In the meantime, if you want any further information, please email me:
a.worthington[at]britishlibrary.net
Andy is the author of Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion (www.hoap.co.uk/alternative.htm),
described by John Hodge of SchNEWS as ‘by far the best bit of modern British social history I’ve seen.’
Please also see Tash's splendid posting on all this at:
The Travellers Situation:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/05/312109.html
&&
Anniversary of the 'Battle of the Beanfield': 'Operation Solstice'
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/05/312088.html
Wednesday June 1st 2005 was the 20th anniversary of the Battle of the Beanfield. For those who are unaware of this dark day for British justice and civil liberties, the Battle of the Beanfield took place after a convoy of 140 travellers’ vehicles, containing around 450 men, women and children – including travellers, peace protestors, green activists and festival-goers – had set off from Savernake Forest in Wiltshire to establish the 12th annual free festival at Stonehenge.
They never reached their destination. Eight miles from the Stones they were ambushed, assaulted and arrested with unprecedented brutality by a quasi-military police force of over 1,300 officers drawn from six counties and the MoD. The Stonehenge festival came to an end, and the travellers’ entire way of life was now under threat as the state prepared to introduce new legislation that would aid them in their mission to ‘decommission’ the travellers’ movement and the free festival circuit that sustained it.
To mark the anniversary, Andy has also put together a number of events:
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, Strawberry Fair, Cambridge. Andy will give a talk on ‘The Battle of the Beanfield’, illustrated with a selection of projected images. Entry free.
Tuesday 7 June, 7.30 pm. South London Radical History Group, Pullens Centre, 184 Crampton St, Elephant and Castle, London SE17. Andy will be showing ‘Operation Solstice’ and talking about ‘The legacy of the Beanfield.’ Entry free.
Saturday 11 June, 3-8 pm. South East London Folklore Society (SELFS) at the Brockley Jack Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, London SE4 (part of the Brockley Max Arts Festival). Andy will be talking about ‘The Battle of the Beanfield’ as part of this day of talks. Other speakers include Steve Wilson, Scott Wood and Neil Gordon-Orr. Entry free.
To mark the occasion, Enabler Publications is issuing the first full-length book about the subject: The Battle of the Beanfield. Edited by Andy Worthington, with photos and contributions by Alan Lodge, Tim Malyon, Neil Goodwin, Gareth Morris, Alan Dearling and others, the book will be published in time for the summer solstice.
The Battle of the Beanfield features in-depth interviews with a range of people who were there on the day, including travellers, journalists, landowners and the police, extracts from the police radio log, a hundred photos (including many which have rarely been seen before), chapters on the 1991 Beanfield trial, a description of the making of the documentary ‘Operation Solstice’, and chapters which set the events of the Beanfield in context. These look at the evolution of the free festival scene, new travellers, convoys and peace protestors, ‘raves’ and road protests, the campaigns for access to Stonehenge, and the wider implications of the events of the Beanfield,
through increasingly draconian legislation, on civil liberties in the UK. Copies can be pre-ordered for £12.95 plus £2 P+P from Enabler Publications, 16 Bitton Avenue, Teignmouth, Devon, TQ14 8HD. In the meantime, if you want any further information, please email me:
a.worthington[at]britishlibrary.net
Andy is the author of Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion (www.hoap.co.uk/alternative.htm),
described by John Hodge of SchNEWS as ‘by far the best bit of modern British social history I’ve seen.’
Please also see Tash's splendid posting on all this at:
The Travellers Situation:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/05/312109.html &&
Anniversary of the 'Battle of the Beanfield': 'Operation Solstice'
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/05/312088.html
Andy Worthington
e-mail:
a.worthington@britishlibrary.net
Homepage:
http://www.hoap.co.uk/alternative.htm
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What happened at Stonehenge on June 1st 2005
02.06.2005 19:17
See
for local paper report.Date Published: Thursday 02 June 2005
Travellers ousted from forest camp. Date Published: Thursday 02 June 2005 Also 2 interviews and some '85 footage on ITN HTV WEST evening of 1st.
We parked at Savernake, Cholderton, the Beanfield and Stonehenge. We went into the stones on foot, then home.
Very emotional...
cess
media txt
03.06.2005 12:45
Travellers ousted from forest camp
16304
THERE were some tense moments when police had a face-to-face confrontation with a group of travellers who settled in Savernake Forest on Tuesday evening.
All weekend extra officers had been on duty manning access points to the forest after police received information that a major rave could take place there to mark the 20th anniversary of the Battle of the Beanfield, when police clashed with New Age travellers at Cholderton.
The expected anniversary rave did not materialise although police said lorries carrying mobile stages had been seen in the area but were deterred by the large number of officers guarding accesses to the forest.
The police cordons were due to be discontinued yesterday.
However on Tuesday a small band of travellers, most of them from eco groups from West Wales, set up camp at the forest's Hatt Gate picnic area on the Wootton Rivers road.
About half a dozen vehicles got past a wooden barrier, that was later found damaged, shortly before 7pm. A powerful battery-powered amplifier was set up and music could be heard at the nearest homes at Hatt Gate a quarter of a mile away.
Police led by the Marlborough sector commander Insp Jerry Dawson were quickly at the scene.
After confirming that the travellers had no permission to camp from the landowner, the Savernake Estate, police asked them to move.
Some of the campers had been drinking and demanded to be allowed to stay.
With just a handful of police officers a few yards away to back him up if necessary although there were more waiting in other parts of the forest to provide reinforcements the inspector talked with the travellers and calmed the situation.
One of the travellers called Ian said they had headed for Wiltshire to commemorate the Battle of the Beanfield although he was too young to be there in 1985.
He said: "We want to mark the fact that 20 years ago the police broke the law when they made all those arrests at the Battle of the Beanfield.
"Although the police actions were later declared illegal they have never apologised. What they did was out of order and we would like an apology."
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."
Some two-and-a-half hours after arriving at Hatt Gate, the travellers left and headed south on the A346 to Burbage and then to Grafton where they did a U-turn and headed back to Burbage and then drove through the Collingbournes before spending the night at Amesbury.
After they left Hatt Gate officers discovered the barrier into the picnic site had been broken.
Insp Dawson said: "It looks as though they were planning to get into the site and probably have more travellers join them if we had let them stay."
Police remained at Hatt Gate until the barrier was mended.
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