Media Coverage
Photographic evidence of the police action is extremely scant. Freelance photographer Ben Gibson, engaged by The Observer that day, was arrested on charges of obstruction. Although he was later acquitted, the arrest removed him from the scene. The Observer later lost the negatives during an office move.
Another freelance photographer, Tim Malyon, was chased from the field by police.
ITN reporter Kim Sabido, recorded an emotional piece-to-camera:
| “ | What I have seen in the last thirty minutes here in this field has been some of the most brutal police treatment of people that I've witnessed in my entire career as a journalist. The number of people who have been hit by policemen, who have been clubbed whilst holding babies in their arms in coaches around this field, is yet to be counted. There must surely be an inquiry after what has happened today. | ” |
When broadcast that evening, the voice-over was removed, as was footage of the more contentious police acts. According to Sabido:
| “ | When I got back to ITN during the following week and I went to the library to look at all the rushes, most of what I'd thought we'd shot was no longer there. From what I've seen of what ITN has provided since, it just disappeared, particularly some of the nastier shots. | ” |
Some of the missing footage has since been rediscovered, and was incorporated into the Operation Solstice documentary shown on Channel 4 in 1991.
Nick Davies reported for The Observer:
| “ | There was glass breaking, people screaming, black smoke towering out of burning caravans and everywhere there seemed to be people being bashed and flattened and pulled by the hair. Men, women and children were led away, shivering, swearing, crying, bleeding, leaving their homes in pieces. | ” |
Read more about this topic: Battle Of The Beanfield
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