250,000 at demonstrations against nuclear power

Demonstrator ions against nuclear power: A quarter of a million people demonstrated nationwide for the immediate exit from nuclear energy.

26/03/2011

Today, around 250,000 people have demonstrated in Hamburg, Cologne, Munich and Berlin for the immediate withdrawal from nuclear energy. All existing nuclear power plants in Germany should be shut down immediately, according to the demand of the demonstrators. According to the organizers, 120,000 in Berlin, 40,000 in Cologne, 50,000 in Hamburg and more than 40,000 people in Munich demonstrated for this common goal. In Berlin, speakers from German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for "not putting off the backlog of nuclear energy". „These are the largest anti-nuclear protests in Germany so far. The Federal Government's answer must now be the shutdown of the nuclear power plants“ said the organizers to which among other things organizations like Attac, unions as well as the federation for environmental and nature protection federation belong.

Protesters demanded immediate withdrawal from nuclear power
The motto of the nationwide demonstrations was „Fukushima warns - switch off all nuclear power plants“. Several speakers cast Chancellor Merkel one „Irresponsible delay and concealment policy“ in front. With her moratorium on nuclear plant life-cycle extensions and with the commissions she uses, she avoids the decision necessary for the immediate nuclear phase-out after the Fukushima disaster. The demonstrators now expect the governing coalition to be without „If and but“ all nuclear power plants are taken off the grid. The policy itself speaks of one „Energy transition“, this must now „energetically pushed forward“ become. Finally, the Gau in Fukushima, Japan, makes it clear that nuclear power is not safe and, moreover, very dangerous for people and the environment. „Therefore, the indignation grows on the current "zig-zag course of the Federal Government on nuclear energy".

Warning about election campaign maneuver of the Federal Government
The speakers warned the federal government against having founded the moratorium solely for the purpose of the election campaign. In the last week it was announced that the Federal Minister of Economics Rainer Brüderle (FDP) said according to information of the Süddeutsche Zeitung at a meeting of the Board and Presidium of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), the current nuclear policy of the Federal Government is a pure election campaign maneuver. Later, Brüderle claimed that his statements had been misquoted in the minutes of the BDI meeting. What exactly said Brüderle, is still unclear, because the Minister himself did not represent what he meant. "The federal government will be fooled, if they hope with a moratorium on the term extensions and the use of commissions to calm the population," warned speakers at the rallies. One will carry out demonstrations "until the last nuclear power plant is switched off". (Sb)

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Picture: BUND