29-04-2025
Anti-nuclear protesters appear at Dutton campaign event in Gilmore, NSW, clashing with voters and delaying press conference
Peter Dutton's campaign event in the ultra-marginal seat of Gilmore has been interrupted by wild anti-nuclear protesters, causing the Opposition Leader's press conference to be delayed.
The Opposition Leader appeared in Sanctuary Point, on the NSW south coast to announce $3.5 million for upgraded stadium facilities at a local football club.
But the event, which featured the local junior football team was hijacked by at least three individuals dressed in white radiation suits with nuclear symbols on the back, using Geiger counters.
Mr Dutton was scheduled to hold a press conference at the football ground, but the protest impacted plans with the leader and Liberal candidate for Gilmore Andrew Constance postponing the media event.
One of the protesters, South Coast Labor Council Secretary Arthur Roriss, said they were 'alerting people as to Australia's nuclear future'.
'We're just suited up for our own protection here,' Mr Roriss told the media.
'This is what the future looks like under a Dutton government … get used to the face masks, get used to the radiation suits folks because this is energy in Australia under a Dutton government.'
He said they 'represent the workers that Mr Dutton expects to subject themselves to danger'.
'We haven't forgotten Fukushima, we haven't forgotten Chernobyl … it's working people and working class communities that pay the price.'
The union leader's comments echo scare campaigns run by the Labor Party on the safety of nuclear energy which has been widely rubbished.
A furious football coach confronted Mr Roriss, telling him, 'you're an absolute muppet mate, for showing up and doing this.'
'The kids here want to play sport … you are absolute idiots.'
'You're a muppet mate.'
Two locals from Nuclear for Australia also hit out at the protesters, slamming them as being ignorant about the facts on nuclear.
'I think this is ridiculous … they're ignorant, they don't know the facts and they're just scaremongering,' one man told Sky News.
The woman with him blasted the activists' remarks as 'ridiculous' and 'untruth'.
The man added: 'Every developed country in the world has got nuclear, never been an issue … there have been accidents of course, I'm not silly, but modern technology, there are all the safeguards and that.'
'We should have it as part of the mix.'
Liberal candidate for Gilmore Andrew Constance condemned the protesters' actions, saying they were there to 'completely destroy an incredible community event'.
'This is the behaviour of the Labor party, we're going to put community first in this election, Labor about themselves,' Mr Constance said.
