Australian anti-nuke protest turns violent

By GREG ANSLEY Herald correspondent

CANBERRA - Australia's anti-nuclear movement has sprung back to life with violent demonstrations at a uranium mine and a standoff between state and federal Governments over plans for a radioactive dump in outback South Australia.

State police officers are under investigation after dramatic TV film showed protesters being pepper-sprayed and clubbed by baton-wielding policemen breaking a blockade at the Beverley uranium project in the north of the state.

The Liberal State Government, supported by Labour and the Democrats, is locked in a battle with the federal Government over Canberra's willingness to use its constitutional powers to override South Australian opposition to nuclear waste storage.

Both campaigns have galvanised support for the anti-nuclear movement, which has been a mere shadow of what it was the 1970s and early 1980s.

The violence of the Beverley protest shocked Australians, who had heard little of the demonstration at the mine.

It involved more than 200 protesters, including local Adnyamanthanha people who claim the mine is poisoning their Emu Dreaming sacred site.

The TV footage, taken by a Channel 7 cameraman who was taken into custody during police action, showed graphic scenes of protesters being clubbed to the ground and spayed in the face at close range.

Another big battle is brewing in Adelaide and Canberra over the federal Government's plans to establish a low-level nuclear waste repository at one of five sites clustered around Woomera, embracing the Coober Pedy opal mining region.

The federal Industry, Science and Resources Minister, Senator Nick Minchin, said the dump would take only low-level radioactive waste such as lightly contaminated soil, smoke detectors, compasses and instrument dials.

But his statement came as the state Government announced legislation to ban medium and high-level waste dumps.

Although it supports the lowlevel repository, the state Government is worried that Canberra will override its opposition to higher-risk dumps.