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00:00Oceania Indy Media Newsreel
00:07The Beverly Uranium Mine is situated in the northern Flinders Ranges of South Australia.
00:37It is owned by Heathgate Resources, a wholly owned subsidiary of US multinational General Atomics.
00:45Heathgate Resources utilises sulphuric acid-based in-situ leech mining to extract uranium.
00:52For environmental reasons, acid-based in-situ leech mining is neither approved nor applied in commercial uranium operations in any other OECD nation.
01:04In-situ leech mining extracts uranium by injecting sulphuric acid deep into the earth via wells.
01:11This acid moves through the earth, dragging the uranium with it.
01:15Pumps are then used to suck the acid, uranium and heavy metals out of the earth to be processed.
01:21At Beverly Uranium Mine, drilling goes to within metres of the Great Artesian Basin.
01:27Despite ongoing spills and opposition from the traditional owners of the land, the Adnabunya people, and their supporters, this process continues to be employed.
01:37In early May 2000, an international peace contingent of approximately 150 people gathered outside the Beverly Uranium Mine at the invitation of the Adnabunya people.
01:49The purpose of the group was to support the Adnabunya people in their continuing fight against the environmentally destructive techniques associated with uranium mining.
01:59On the 9th of May 2000, at the invitation of the traditional land owners, activists walked onto the mine lease.
02:06The South Australian police and the Special Task and Rescue Force responded by using capsicum spray and batons to remove the activists.
02:19Those affected by the capsicum spray included a ten-year-old Adnabunya girl.
02:24Subsequently, 30 people were held in a shipping container for over four hours.
02:38During this time, they were subjected to welding sparks and exhaust fumes, as well as harassment.
02:44None of these people were officially placed under arrest.
02:47Another incident occurred when police went on a violent rampage through the activists' camp, targeting individual activists, many of whom sustained serious injuries.
02:59Move away! Move away! Move away! Move away!
03:03What the fuck are you doing? What the fuck are you doing?
03:07You're fucking crazy! What the fuck are you doing?
03:11You're fucking crazy! What are you doing?
03:15You're fucking crazy!
03:18A police complaints authority report, released in May 2002, found that the actions of the police at the Beverley uranium mine constituted
03:28use of excessive force, wrongful arrest, and inappropriate detention.
03:35A group affected by these actions has issued civil proceedings.
03:40The South Australian police must be held accountable for their actions.
03:45The South Australian police must be held accountable for their actions.
03:47The South Australia under the