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Tens of thousands protest against German government nuclear plans

Other News Materials 9 October 2010 21:06 (UTC +04:00)
Tens of thousands demonstrated in Munich on Saturday against German government plans to extend the life-spans of the country's nuclear power stations, dpa reported.
Tens of thousands protest against German government nuclear plans

Tens of thousands demonstrated in Munich on Saturday against German government plans to extend the life-spans of the country's nuclear power stations, dpa reported.

Protesters joined hands to form a 10-kilometre human chain through the centre of Munich, the capital of the southern German state of Bavaria.

The protest came after Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right government agreed last month to extend the life-span of nuclear power plants by an average of 12 years beyond a previous 2022 moratorium.

Of Germany's 17 nuclear reactors, five are situated in Bavaria which is geographically Germany's largest state.

Police estimated that 15,000 demonstrators took part, while the protest organizers placed the number at 50,000 participants.

The protest was organized by citizen groups and opposition parties including the Social Democrats (SPD), the Green Party and the radical Left Party.

Last month, up to 100,000 people demonstrated in the German capital, Berlin, against the decision to extend nuclear power generation as a "bridging technology" while renewable energy sources are developed.

The government's decision, which still needs parliamentary approval, is opposed by a majority of Germans according to opinion polls.

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