By Emma Webb
ADELAIDE — Six hundred people attended a rally and march against the Jabiluka uranium mine on February 21. The action coincided with the world music festival Womadelaide and was organised by the Jabiluka Action Group (JAG).
The rally was welcomed to Kaurna land by Cheree Watkins and Veronica Brody. Speakers included Dave Sweeney from the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) national, Sandra Saunders from ATSIC and a former director of the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement, and David Noonan from ACF Adelaide. A message of solidarity was received from Arabunna elder Kevin Buzzacott, who was in Canberra defending the Aboriginal Tent Embassy.
Buzzacott has called Arabunna people and their supporters to Lake Eyre from March 26 to protest the expansion of the Roxby Downs uranium mine. The expansion will increase the amount of water taken from the Lake Eyre Basin next year from 15 million litres a day to 42 million litres. Roxby is the largest uranium mine in the world.
Meanwhile, police have dropped charges against one of the three activists arrested at the JAG rally on December 13. Another activist had two charges, including assault, dropped. No conviction was recorded for the third. Police won an adjournment for the charges against the third activist.
Anyone interested in attending the Lake Eyre march can phone Kevin Buzzacott on (02) 6273 7472 or 6295 0493. To join the JAG and Nuclear Issues Coalition contingents for the march, phone 8232 8595.