Thousands rally for end to nuclear power in Taiwan
Thousands oppose island's atomic energy use, three years after Fukushima disaster
Tens of thousands marched in Taiwan yesterday to call for an end to nuclear energy on the island, ahead of the third anniversary of the Fukushima atomic disaster in Japan, organisers said.
In Taipei, protesters held placards and flags painted with slogans such as "No nuke, no more Fukushima" and "No nuke, save Taiwan" as they marched in the rainy, cold weather.
Worries about Taiwan's atomic facilities have grown since a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11, 2011, crippling a nuclear power plant in Fukushima.
Protest organisers demanded the government immediately halt construction of a new nuclear power plant and remove nuclear waste from an offshore islet, while moving to stop using nuclear energy altogether, said Liu Hui-min, a spokeswoman for the National Nuclear Abolition Action Platform.
"We urge the government to face anti-nuclear demands from the people instead of trying to stall the issues or suppress different opinions," she said.