Student athletes at Durham University's Trevelyan College have been criticized for the strike-themed pub crawl. The industrial action in the mid-1980s caused widespread unrest, violence and poverty in parts of Britain.
Police and miners at Orgreave Colliery in 1984Image: Getty Images/Hulton Archive/S. Eason
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Rugby players at Durham University in the UK were forced to cancel a miners'-strike theme pub crawl, British media reported on Monday. University officials decried the Trevelyan College rugby team's actions as "wholly unacceptable."
Originally planned for Wednesday, the event asked the forwards to dress as miners - "flat caps, filth and a general disregard for personal safety" - "working-class-beating" policeman and the backs as members of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's government.
"Think pickaxes. Think headlamps. Think 12-percent unemployment," read the event description on Facebook.
The description also said it would be "a confrontation higher than the Battle of Orgreave" – a reference to one of the most severe clashes during Britain's year-long miners' strike that caused widespread civil unrest in the mid-1980s.
The reaction on Twitter was scathing, with many pointing out how insensitive the theme is.
"Durham University and Trevelyan College utterly deplore this event, which is wholly unacceptable," the university said in a statement.
"The event has been cancelled by the students concerned. We are speaking to those students and we are considering what further action to take in due course."
In March 1984, the National Coal Board under Thatcher (above) proposed a plan to close 20 mines, cutting 20,000 jobs and prompting union leaders to call a strikeImage: Getty Images/P. Floyd
Lasting impact on society
The coalminers' strike of 1984-85 was the most significant industrial action in modern British history and has had a lasting impact on society.
A standoff between the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Thatcher's conservative government over plans to close most the country's coal mines led to violent confrontations between striking workers and police, tens of thousands of jobs were lost, and the affected communities experienced a steep decline in their standard of living. Two miners were killed while picketing.
The Durham Miners' Association said on twitter that it was "pleased" that the university had taken "swift and appropriate action."
The affects of the strikes and the pit closures can still be felt in Britain today, where opinion on the action is still deeply divided and former mining communities remain some of the country's poorest areas.
One of the hardest-hit areas was around Durham in the north of England, where many villages sprang up around the mining industry in the 19th century.
The Durham Miners' Association said it was "appalled" and "hurt" by the rugby team's behavior but they were "pleased that Durham University and Trevelyan College took very prompt and appropriate action by cancelling this event."
Margaret Thatcher - a life in pictures
A look back at some of the key moments in the life of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
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Remembering Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher died following a stroke on April 8. She was British Prime Minister from 1979 - 1990. She was the first woman to hold the office and one of the most influential political figures of the 20th Century. Current Prime Minister David Cameron said "she will go down as the greatest British peacetime prime minister."
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Humble beginnings
Margaret Hilda Roberts was born on 13 October 1925 in Grantham, Lincolnshire, the second daughter of Alfred Roberts, a grocer, and his wife, Beatrice. Her father, a local councillor and Methodist lay preacher, had an immense influence on her life and the policies she would later adopt.
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1943 - 1947 Oxford University years
Margaret Thatcher studied natural sciences at Somerville College in Oxford and specialized in chemistry. She became only the third female president of the Oxford University Conservative Association, paving the way for her future political ambitions.
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Early political life
In the 1950 and 1951 general elections she was the Conservative candidate for the safe Labour seat of Dartford. Though unsuccessful in the elections themselves, she did attract media attention as the youngest and the only female candidate.
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A supportive relationship
Margaret Roberts married divorced businessman, Denis Thatcher, in 1951, who also funded her law studies. She qualified as a barrister in 1953, and specialized in taxation. That same year her twins, Carol and Mark, were born. Denis remained in the background throughout her career.
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The rise to power
Margaret Thatcher was elected as Conservative member of parliament for Finchley in 1959. She was named Education Secretary in 1970 by then Prime Minister Edward Heath, whom she defeated as leader of the party five years later. In 1979 she became the first female Prime Minister.
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The Iron Lady
When she entered office in 1979, she promised that the Conservatives would cut income tax, reduce public expenditure, make it easier for people to buy their own homes and curb the power of the unions. She cultivated the image of the "iron lady."
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Victory in the Falklands
She enhanced her tough reputation with a decisive response to the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982. She sent a naval task force and the islands were re-taken when the Argentine forces surrendered. Victory in the Falklands ensured a Conservative landslide in the 1983 election.
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Cold war allies
Thatcher formed a special relationship with US President Ronald Reagan. On his death she described Reagan as a great American who "won the Cold War."
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IRA bombing
An IRA bomb exploded in the Conservative Party conference hotel in Brighton in southern England in October 1984, where Thatcher was staying. Five people died and many others were seriously injured, but Thatcher survived.
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Leaving Downing Street
Despite winning a third election victory in 1987, Margaret Thatcher resigned in 1990 after facing a leadership challenge. John Major was elected her successor and Margaret Thatcher returned to the back benches, finally standing down as a member of parliament in 1992 when the Conservatives, against all predictions, were again returned to power.
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Years of declining health
She received the Order of the Garter in 1995 and became Baroness Thatcher. She remained a political player for a decade until ill health forced her to retire. After a series of minor strokes, her doctors advised her against making public speaking appearances and she appeared increasingly frail.