Tens of thousands protest most radioactive transport ever

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated Saturday, November 6 against a shipment of nuclear waste travelling to a storage site in northern Germany, and some tried to block railway tracks in a protest fueled by a government move to extend the country's use of atomic energy, reports David Rising of the Canadian Press. Demonstrators turned fields outside the town of Dannenberg into a sea of yellow-and-red flags with the slogan "Nuclear Power — No, Thanks." Protesters estimated a final crowd of more than 40,000 peaceful demonstrators. The shipment of highly radioactive waste from the French reprocessing site in Normandy, traveled first by truck and then train across France and into Germany. Al Jazeera English also provides a report.

2,000 German activists form human chain around parliament during vote to extend reactor licenses

The German Bundestag (parliament) voted on Thursday to extend the lifespan of the country's 17 nuclear power plants, overturning a decision made 10 years ago by the then ruling Social Democrat-Green Party. The decision has infuriated the opposition as well as hundreds of thousands of activists who have already taken to the streets on several occasions in huge numbers to protest relicensing. As the decision was made, 2,000 protesters formed a human chain around the Bundestag. The Social Democrats and Greens have decried the decision and promise to reverse it should they regain leadership of the country. They also object to the government's apparent by-passing of the lower house, or Bundesrat, where Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats do not enjoy a majority. During the protest against the vote, Greenpeace climbers scaled the roof of the CDU party headquarters and unfurled a banner showing Merkel celebrating with a leader of one of the major nuclear companies.

Germany's Social Democrats push for referendum on nuclear energy

Germany’s opposition Social Democratic party, in an effort to block the Merkel coalition government's nuclear reactor license renewal policy, is pushing for a national referendum on the future of the country's nuclear power program. A referendum cannot occur until the country’s constitution is amended, as referenda are currently illegal. The move follows a massive demonstration on September 18 in Berlin that saw 100,000 people take to the streets protesting the license renewal of the country's 17 nuclear plants which have been granted 12-year license extensions. In contrast, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the U.S., routinely hands out 20-year license extensions for this country's dangerous and aging reactors.

100,000 rally in Berlin to protest nuclear power

As many as 100,000 anti-nuclear demonstrators took to the streets of Berlin on September 18 to voice their strong opposition to the Merkel government's decision to extend the licenses of the country's operating nuclear power plants. A human chain was formed around the government building and protesters also rallied at the railway station. The previous government had decided  to shut down all nuclear plants by 2021, but Merkel's coalition government plans to extend the deadline by 10-15 years.

German anti-nuclear activists planning huge protest rally

German anti-nuclear activists are preparing for a huge rally on September 18 in Berlin to protest license extensions for Germany's existing nuclear plants. A year ago, a similar rally due tens of thousands or nuclear opponents. The impetus comes as the German government announces a compromise position on license renewals for its 17 nuclear plants, agreeing to a 12-14-year extension rather than 20 but more than the eight-year limit pushed by the environment minister. The rally organizers  - spearheaded by Campact - also organized last April's 75-mile long and 120,000+ person human chain to protest license extensions for two of the country's reactors. Hundreds already protested the license extension announcement in Berlin on September 5.