Dump Howard, not Waste - 6 days till you're out of this place!

Monday, 19 November, 2007

FANG

Around 20 members of the Fremantle Anti Nuclear Group (FANG), the Greens and other activists went to greet John Howard as he was heading into a Liberal party fundraiser at the Hyatt hotel.

"We wanted to take our message direct to Howard," said FANG spokesperson Nicola Paris.  "He and Julie Bishop are quite happy to dump on the Aboriginal peoples of the Northern Territory by imposing a toxic waste dump on their country.  We are calling on the electorate to dump Howard and the Coalition instead."

The activists were there as part of a national day of action against the proposed waste dumps in the Northern Territory which saw actions all over the country.  In Melbourne there are still activists chained to a large 'toxic waste' drum blocking the entrance to the Liberal party headquarters and actions were conducted at Environment Minister Turnbull's office, as well as targeting the CLP candidate in Alice Springs.

Police were fairly good natured on the day, and despite initially requesting activists to move across the road, they backed down when confronted with a good humoured group who had decided they would much rather be at the entrance where Howard could actually be confronted by them.  Howard's car entered quickly through the on ramp, although he certainly had a good vantage point of the activists who were confined to the pavement by police.

Scott Ludlam, Greens Senate candidate attended and commented, "The Government abandoned good science, due process and procedural fairness in 2005 passing a bill to allow the dumping of Australia's radioactive waste on politically vulnerable Aboriginal communities in the NT. These communities have since put up a spirited fight which I firmly believe they will win."

A group from the People for Nuclear Disarmament also conducted a vigil at Wesley Church at the same time and had a great response from passersby to their information and petitions joining an open letter to Julie Bishop calling on her to explain her nuclear position.


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