a report back from Olympic Dam uranium mine

Lizards Revenge at the Gates of Hell

500 brave souls participated in the Lizards Revenge protest at BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam uranium mine from July 14-18 - all of them aware of the possibility of being subject to the sort of police brutality inflicted on protesters at the Beverley uranium mine a decade earlier.

The event was a huge success in drawing attention to the many problems with the mine. Hundreds of newspaper, radio and TV items provided opportunities to hold BHP and the SA and federal governments to account for racist policies (such as the mine's exemptions from the SA Aboriginal Heritage Act), grossly irresponsible environmental practices, and irresponsible export policies such as selling uranium to nuclear weapons states and dictatorships.

Lizard Revenge was also inspiring, educational and great fun for everyone who attended. Police behaviour was not as bad as it was at Beverley in 2000 but it was at times heavy-handed, particularly the arrest of 18 protesters for innocuous stunts such as a 'Breakfast Not Bombs' event and a game of cricket on a dirt road to a mine gate (one of a number of gates). Fundraising events will be held in the coming months to support arrestees. Excessive, obsessive, absurd police surveillance of protesters and the protest camp was also objectionable.

Huge thanks and congratulations to Izzy Brown, Tully McIntyre, Nectaria Calan and everyone else who made Lizards Revenge such a success.

See www.lizardsrevenge.net for lots more information about Lizards Revenge, including photos, videos, media releases and media reports.

If you're inspired to get active today (instead of radioactive tomorrow), find your local anti-nuclear campaign group at: www.foe.org.au/anti-nuclear/links#1