Please, speak a little slower than you normally would.
Do not hesitate to correct anything you find incorrect.
Thank you very much for the help, have a great day, take care :)
The miner’s testimony
I remember quite well… I was at the battle of Orgreave, in June 1984. The pits closure was a real threat for the lives of thousand of workers and there were calls to protests all over Great Britain.
It all started quite peacefully. It was a rather normal picketing day but we were numerous. More than 8000 people joined us to protest and the place was really crowded. But we were not alone. I remember that, slowly, we started noticing many police wagons arriving left and right. Horses, shields, helmets, you name it, it was like they were preparing for war. Afterwards, they reckoned there were more than 4500 policemen called to face us.
What was strange, that day, is that the policemen did not try to stop us, as they usually did. They let us go through and walk. They guided us, though. And, slowly, they took us to this big field. It was a vast area, really open. We were here, the protesters, on our side and, facing us, like an army, the policemen were standing with all their weapons and protections. It’s funny because, when I think back, it really looked like a battlefield !
Some people threw stones and stuff, here and there, the other protesters told them to stop. Suddenly, the police lines split and, out of the blue, policemen on horses charged us. From that point on, it was anarchy, chaos. It really seemed that we were really in a true war battle. Many were hurt that day. That was scary.
Today, some people think that it was all a trap, that the police forces took us here to provoke the battle and charge the protesters with rioting, which can send you in prison for life. Maybe it was all a setup and they wanted to show the strikers they didn’t stand a chance and sending some of them in prison for the rest of their life was setting an example.
Honestly, I don’t really know but a page of British history was written that day.
I made a few adjustments for the sake of style, but very little seemed to need 'correction'.
This text would really sound great with a UK accent, so I hope my American twang doesn't ruin it for you.