PR:ANTI-URANIUM MINING DEMONSTRATION IN RANUA
ANTI-URANIUM MINING DEMONSTRATION IN RANUA
On Saturday the 7th of November, about 80 people gathered in front of the Ranua town hall to demonstrate against the uranium mining plans of Areva, in this small community and all over the world. The demonstration has been very lively and loud, the participants were singing creative songs "Ranua, Ranua don't you understand?" and shouting slogans constantly. A lot of banners and signs had been brought to the demonstration, like the scary future herald (code of arms) of "URANUA", radioactive moose, and "lappi - suomen uraanisiirtomaa?" (Lapland - Finlands uranium colony?). Some demonstrators created costumes, there have been the seven samurais carrying "ei uranua" flags and a walking humansized mutated cloudberry.
When the demonstration reached the markesquare a streettheatre performance took place and a variety of speeches have been given by local demonstrators, deligates of Ranua Rescue, international supporters and spontanous speakers from all over Finland. After the demonstration ended at the Ranua school, about 50 people were having lunch provided by locals together in the location of the seminar, which started in the afternoon. The seminar consisted of speeches of teacher Ulla Klözer from "women for peace": "Uranium livecycle and waste", antropologist Ulla Valovesi: "Nuclear industry and enviromental racism" and Prof. Dr. of Physics Inge Schmitz-Feuerhake, from Bremen University: "Health effects of uranium in workers and residents and the experience in Germany". After this the audience and participants of the seminar have discussed the upcoming questions with the independend experts.
There's 27 members in the council and 25 have been paid to go to the information meeting with Areva and STUK, which unfortunately has been closed to the public and sadly only three council members attented the seminar, independently organized by concerned locals and Ranua Rescue. This is especially concerning after the chairman of Areva Finland, Osmo Kaipainen failed to provide any postive arguments for either nuclear power or uranium mining, despite repeated requests by the attendents of the seminar in the University of Oulu on Friday the 6th of November. We hope that the council members of Ranua will choose common sense instead of swallowing the rather unattractive bait of the nuclear industry, which will poison future generations of the community they represent.
