Monthly Archives: May 2010

Anti-nuclear protest at Rio Tinto AGM – Melbourne, 26 May 2010

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Protesters line up with placard behind Ziggy, the anti-nuclear white elephant

[Originally posted to Melbourne Indymedia]

Energy Resources Australia (ERA), the company responsible for the Ranger uranium mine recently revealed to have leaked millions of litres of radioactive water into the World Heritage-listed wetlands of Kakadu National Park (http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/mine-fears-grow-as-pol…), is a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, which held its AGM in Melbourne today. In spite of extremely short notice, protesters joined Ziggy the anti-nuclear white elephant outside the Melbourne Convention Centre to voice their outrage at this latest case of contamination and to send a message of support for the Mirrar traditional custodians, who oppose the expansion of the Ranger Uranium mine.

The protest was organised by Friends of the Earth ACE (Anti-nuclear and Clean Energy) Collective, and some of those attending were just back from the annual Radioactive Exposure Tour – see http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au/?q=an/home and http://www.foe.org.au/anti-nuclear/issues/oz/radtour/2010

Another view of protest

Solidarity action with Hazelwood arrestees – Melbourne Magistrates’ Court 21 May

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Protesters with placards outside court

[Originally posted to Melbourne Indymedia]

Some of the people arrested at last September’s civil disobedience at Hazelwood Power Station (see http://www.switchoffhazelwood.org/2009 and more recently http://indymedia.org.au/2010/05/06/time-to-replace-hazelwood-coal-power-station-for-climate-change) were due to face court this morning and supporters met outside the court to show solidarity and hand out leaflets to passers-by explaining the urgency of the need to close this, the ‘most polluting power station in the world’, and setting out the role of civil disobedience in the campaign. An update on court proceedings will be posted here as soon as available. (33 people in all were arrested, so further actions may be expected; there is also to be a mass protest at the station itself on 3 October, details to be posted on the Switch off Hazlewood site …)

Protesters with placards outside court

Another view of the protest

Handing put flyers outside the court

Solidarity with workers and people of Greece – 16 May

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Protesters hold placards on Library steps

(Originally posted to Melbourne Indymedia – this version incorporates a correction made in a comment posted there.)

The Melbourne branch of Bash Back (http://bashbackmelbourne.wordpress.com/) issued a callout for a show of solidarity with ‘the workers and people of Greece’, adding ‘Considering that this country [Australia] has the largest Greek population outside of Greece there should be no question about the need to show solidarity.’ Only a dedicated few answered the call – admittedly at short notice – meeting at the State Library in front of the statue of Victoria’s ‘hanging judge’ Redmond Barry (still sporting a placard from the previous day’s anti-homophobia rally). The protest was informal, with various people taking turns with the megaphone; one read  the communiqué ‘Reality is an illusion; Normality is behind us’ by the Fellow Precarious Workers from the Occupied ASOEE (Athens University of Economics and Business) reprinted in  “Everyone to the Streets”, pp. 98-100 (see http://zinelibrary.info/files/everyone_to_the_streets.pdf). There was agreement a further action should be arranged, potentially at the Greek Consulate, and a stronger effort should be made to involve the Greek community.

Reading a statement

Closeup of protesters with solidarity placards

Latin-American solidarity

Redmond Barry statue - with placard and pigeons

Placard detail - But all I need is a lover

Detail of placard from previous day's rally