nuclear-news

International protest at decision to restart 2 Japanese nuclear reactors

Oi decision draws international outcry http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120617a4.html#.T9-KwxfZ7D8 Reactor restarts hit by protests from Europe, America, Asia By ERIC JOHNSTON, OSAKA — The decision to restart two reactors at the Oi nuclear plant has sparked international concern, with antinuclear activists and politicians in many countries sending letters of protest and holding rallies outside Japanese embassies and consulates over the past week. Politicians from green parties in Australia and Europe, as well as doctors, activists, and labor unions, have all formally opposed the restart, citing the Fukushima disaster.

In Germany, all 53 members of the green party sent a letter of protest
Tuesday to Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Fukui Gov. Issei
Nishikawa via the Japanese Embassy.

Also in Berlin, Rebecca Harms, a German Green and member of the
European Parliament, sent a letter on behalf of European Green Party
members calling for a halt to the restart.

In Australia, meanwhile, Sen. Scott Ludlam of the Australian Greens
sent a letter of protest June 12 to Japan’s Embassy in Canberra.

In Italy, an appeal for a moratorium on restarting nuclear power
plants bearing 3,700 signatures was presented to the Japanese Embassy
in Rome, while antinuclear activists in New York delivered letters
opposing the restart to the city’s Japanese Consulate on Friday.

A separate rally to protest the decision is planned in front of
Japan’s Embassy in Washington on Monday. Other antinuclear groups in
Chicago and Los Angeles will hold similar events this week and also
deliver letters opposing the Oi restart to local Japanese consulates.

In Asia, antinuclear activists in Thailand held a rally in front of
the Japanese Embassy on Friday and urged Tokyo to rethink its
decision, while Japanese residents in South Korea joined local
activists for a demonstration in front of Japan’s Embassy in Seoul,
also Friday.

June 20, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, opposition to nuclear