Twenty-one people were injured and 61 were arrested in Ogies, Mpumalanga, on Thursday in protests against BHP Billiton – the second violent action targeting a mining company in the past two weeks, police said. They included three police officials, who were injured on the shoulder, mouth and head when stones and bottles were thrown at them, said Captain Leonard Hlathi. Hlathi said the police had to fire rubber bullets to disperse crowds burning tyres and barricading roads with bottles, dustbins and road traffic signs. “Eighteen protesters were bruised from the rubber bullets. We have arrested 61 people for public violence,” he said, adding that all the main roads in the Phola township, in Ogies, were closed. “They [the protesters] want to draw attention from BHP Billiton. They are claiming there were several meetings with BHP Billiton and they are claiming BHP Billiton is not employing people from Phola township,” said Hlathi. BHP Billiton owns the Klipspruit coal mine in Ogies.
See http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=nw20100218174243252C140008.