ICAN supporters have descended on Melbourne's iconic Flinders Street station for a Japanese TV crew during a busy city afternoon.

With kangaroos, a Geisha, umbrellas and ICAN materials for the public, ICAN calls on Australia and Japan to get out from under the USA's "nuclear umbrella" if these nations are to remain serious about nuclear disarmament.

Japan and Australia are known as nuclear umbrella states - they don't have their own nuclear weapons but rely on the "extended deterrence" of others' nuclear weapons. This infers nuclear weapons play a role in security. In the case of NATO, Australia, Japan and South Korea, these weapons belong to the USA.

Nuclear weapons remain a real threat to the survival of humanity and our planet. The USA plans to spend USD$1,600 million on maintaining its nuclear arsenal in 2008 alone.

ICAN Board member and kangaroo for the day, Bill Williams, noted that the velcro used on his roo suit offered more security than the USA's stockpile of around 10,000 nuclear weapons.

Photos: Adam Dempsey