Nuclear waste transport rises heavy protests of the German population

French and German citizens demonstrated along the transport route from La Hage, France, to the temporary storage site at Gorleben, Germany.

Heavy clashes with the police are a sign of their distrust to safety issues of nuclear energy and the transport of reprocessed nuclear waste. See pictures A [1]  More pictures B  [3]

The protests at Aljazeera video [2]
Some 20,000 officers secured the shipment, using water cannons and batons. Both sides suffered injuries. At least 20 German policemen had to be medicated. About 300 protesters threw stones and fireworks at security officers near the town of Dannenberg. See Al Jazeera video

There are no official plans how nuclear waste can be permanently stored. All German storage site have proved to be unsafe. The German citizens don't want nuclear waste to be stored in Germany any more.

Following the disaster of Fukutschima, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, took 7 nuclear power plants off the grid. Remaining nuclear capacity will be shut down by 2022.

Impressing pictures of bravery of citizens [4]
Demonstrators chained themselves to stretches of line, undermine tracks by kicking out stones and fought with officers in Germany delaying the transport of  135 tons of radioactive waste. See pictures C [4]

According to the Telegraph local hospital casualty units reported swarms of injured demonstrators, many of them elderly, during the fiercest clashes the police  had encountered in years. Farmers supported the demonstrators blocking the road to Dannenberg with their tractors. [5]

French demonstrations  [6]
Demonstrations against nuclear power by French citizens delayed the CASTOR transport of nuclear waste from France to Germany. See pictures D [6]

[1] Pictures: Atom-Transport: Letzte Etappe für den Castor. Spiegel Online 26Nov 2011
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-75577.html

[2] German police injured in nuclear waste clash. Al Jazeera 26 Nov 2011.
Protesters throw stones at security officers as train carrying nuclear waste from France makes its way to Dannenberg.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2011/11/20111126131356839760.html

[3] Pictures B: Castor-Transport: Turbulente Nacht des Widerstands Spiegel Online 27Nov 2011.
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-75590.html

[4] Pictures C: Castor-Transport: Brutaler Einsatz der Polizei
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-75607.html

[5] Fierce battles as nuclear 'train of death' held up in Germany. Fierce battles as nuclear 'train of death' held up in Germany
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/8115844/Fierce-battles-as-nuclear-train-of-death-held-up-in-Germany.html

[6] Pictures D: Protests against nuclear power in by French citizens. Protests along route of CASTOR transport of nuclear waste from France to Germany. The Telegraph 23 Nov 2011
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/8915654/Protests-along-route-of-CASTOR-transport-of-nuclear-waste-from-France-to-Germany.html?image=1