France: Police Clash With Anti-Nuclear Group
2:37pm UK, Wednesday November 23, 2011
At least five people have been arrested during anti-nuclear protests in France.
The arrests followed clashes with police over a convoy of German nuclear waste.
The protests are over the latest - and last - convoy of waste to be treated in France at the Areva plant in Normandy, and its return to Germany.
The practice has been the subject of huge controversy with French environmentalists furious at what they see as a potentially hazardous overland journey of more than 430 miles.
The waste is being transported by train from Valognes and police have been setting up roadblocks to stop protesters converging at the railway station.
The good news for the protesters is that Germany has decided to phase out its use of nuclear power following the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan earlier this year.
It means it will no longer be sending radioactive waste to France every year for reprocessing.
From now on until nuclear power is phased out, Germany will stockpile its own waste until a way is found to make it safe.
While the French have become more concerned about nuclear power since the Fukushima incident, opposition to nuclear power is not as strong as in Germany.
France still produces more than 75% of its electricity needs through nuclear reactors.
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