By Martin Iltis and Tony Iltis
MELBOURNE — Around 200 people rallied in the Bourke Street Mall at lunchtime on July 14 to protest against uranium mining at Jabiluka. Speakers pointed out that the government's pro-mining policies show no regard for either indigenous people or the environment.
During the march following the rally, police were taken by surprise when around 70 protestors broke away from the march to occupy the Business Council of Australia office.
The BCA was targeted because two of its directors are company executives of North Ltd, the parent company of Energy Resources Australia, which is mining Jabiluka. AS well, the BCA's environment policy asserts the right of big business to plunder the environment for profits, with little regard for the environmental consequences.
During the occupation, a furious BCA director, David Buckingham, demanded that the protesters leave immediately because they were trespassing on private property and making it impossible for the BCA to conduct its business.
The irony of Buckingham's statement was not lost on the protesters who told him that the policies of big business legitimised the occupation and dispossession of Aboriginal land.
The protesters initially refused to meet Buckingham's demand that they leave, unless he agreed to an on-camera discussion with activists about the BCA's policies regarding indigenous rights, uranium mining and the environment. Buckingham agreed only to a private discussion. The protesters refused, wanting to make Buckingham publicly accountable for any statements he might make.
The action ended a couple of hours later when protesters decided they had made their point and left the building.
Sue Boland reports from Sydney that on July 15 around 80 activists rallied outside a city branch of Westpac before occupying the customer service area to demand that the bank withdraw its involvement in the Jabiluka uranium mine. The protesters disrupted business for about an hour to draw attention to the disruption being caused to the lives of the Mirrar people by the Jabiluka mine.