[Greens-Media] Sydney rally raises urgency of reducing threat of nuclear war

[John Kaye]

Sydney rally raises urgency of reducing threat of nuclear war 

Media Release: 2 August 2008

Greens NSW MP John Kaye will use his address to today's Hiroshima Day Rally in Sydney to call for Australia to end its uranium exports to nuclear weapons states.

Dr Kaye said: "The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists' 'doomsday clock' is now at 5 minutes to midnight.

"The threat of a nuclear holocaust is at its highest level since the mid-1980's stand-off between the former Soviet Union and the United States under Ronald Regan.

"Australia's exports of uranium to at least three nuclear-armed states is contributing to the development of arsenals that could inflict unimaginable damage on humanity.  

"Continued tension between a heavily-armed Russia and the United States and the spread of nuclear weapons to states like Korea, Pakistan and Iran have re-ignited the nuclear fuse.

"Australia as the holder of the world's largest uranium resource has a particular responsibility to lead the world towards reducing nuclear posturing.

"The Rudd government must end the sale of uranium to all nuclear armed states, including the USA, France and the United Kingdom, and cancel planned exports to China.  

"Hiroshima Day stands as a stark reminder of the devastation that weapons of mass destruction cause.

"Sixty four years ago, 140,000 people died in Hiroshima. Since then the world has lived under the shadow of Armageddon. 

"It is time to bring the terror of annihilation to an end," Dr Kaye said. 

Sydney Hiroshima Day Rally Details: 12:30 pm Saturday 2 August Town Hall Square; 1 pm march through city. 

1.30pm: Dr Kaye, John Hallam from People for Nuclear Disarmament and Jessica Morrison from ICAN will address the rally at Town Hall Square

For more information:	John Kaye 0407 195 455