nuclear-news

Police arrest cricket players at Australian peaceful anti uranium protest

Lizards Revenge – Arrests are just not cricket , 17 July, A light-hearted game of cricket near Roxby Downs was disrupted today at 1:15pm as police moved in to arrest the players, who are camping near the Olympic Dam uranium mine as part of the Lizards Revenge protest festival.

Police and off-duty miners were invited to join the game, but cricketers were instead bowled over by the severity of the police response. About 50 officers, six on horseback, formed a line to push the group from the road and the oval. Musical equipment and props were confiscated, and five players were arrested in the ensuing scuffle – bringing the total number of arrests so far to eleven.

Both sport and opposition to the nuclear industry are proud Australian traditions. BHP, the once “big Australian”, is now 76% foreign-owned. After the resource has been extracted from Olympic Dam, Australia will be left with 40 square kilometres of toxic tailings whilst most of the profits have gone overseas.

One player explained: “We say uranium mining is just not cricket. BHP Billiton, give the Arabunna people, the Kokatha people and all the Australian people a fair go.”

July 17, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA, opposition to nuclear