Anti-Nuclear Protesters Clash with Police in Normandy and Germany

Protesters in France and Germany are increasingly vocal about their opposition to the transportation of nuclear waste. In Normandy, riot police fired tear gas at demonstrators attempting to block a train carrying recycled uranium to Germany. The demonstrators, numbering around 300, claimed that the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan underscored the need to abandon atomic power. Activists in Lieusaint, a village near the rail depot at Valognes, clashed with police, leading to the burning of vehicles and the use of tear gas. Separately, a section of train track was deliberately damaged, further delaying the train's departure.

Key Takeaways:

• Approximately 300 protesters clashed with riot police in fields in Lieusaint, Normandy, using tactics such as setting vehicles on fire and employing tear gas.
• The protesters targeted a train carrying recycled uranium from a nuclear waste processing site to a storage site in northern Germany.
• The incident highlights the growing opposition to nuclear power in France and Germany in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.
• French nuclear company Areva, which treats spent nuclear fuel from other nations, has faced criticism over the transportation of nuclear waste by rail.
• In Germany, police are preparing for a large-scale operation to secure the nuclear waste shipment, as protests are expected despite the country's decision to exit nuclear energy by 2022.
• French President Nicolas Sarkozy remains committed to nuclear power, while the German government aims to find a permanent storage solution for nuclear waste.
• The train carrying nuclear waste is expected to arrive in Gorleben, Germany, within three days, according to Areva spokesman Julien Duperray.

Statistics:

• 300: The approximate number of protesters who clashed with riot police in Lieusaint, Normandy.
• 2-4 inches: The height of the bump created by damaging the train track, as estimated by Chef de Train Jacques Giours.
• 5 cm: The height of the bump created by damaging the train track, as estimated by Najim Chiabri of the SNCF national rail authority.
• 5-10 cm: The estimated range of the bump created by damaging the train track, as stated by Najim Chiabri.
• 2012: The year in which Germany plans to exit nuclear energy, according to Chancellor Angela Merkel's government.
• 2022: The year in which Germany's nuclear plants are expected to be shut down according to the government's decision.

Sources:

• The Associated Press: "Riot police fire tear gas at nuclear protesters in France"
• The Hamilton Spectator: "French authorities condemn anti-nuclear protests"
• Areva spokesman Julien Duperray (no date provided)
• David Vincent, The Associated Press (no date provided)