16,000 protestors in Tokyo (2)

September 24, 2014

16,000 activists turn out in Tokyo in outcry against nuclear power plants

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201409240056

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

Even though reactors at the Sendai nuclear power plant have cleared final safety checks, more than 10,000 anti-nuclear activists at a park in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Sept. 23 pledged to continue their opposition.

According to Citizens' Committee for the 10 Million People's Petition to say Goodbye to Nuclear Power Plants, which organized the protest, about 16,000 activists rallied at Kameido Chuo Park on the autumn equinox national holiday.

“I want Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to pledge that the central government will abandon nuclear power plants in the nation,” said writer Hisae Sawachi, who is a member of the group along with Nobel Prize-winning author Kenzaburo Oe.

“We do not have any other avenue than to march and voice our opinions together, but we should continue to fight vigorously.”

Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture formally cleared tougher safety checks by the Nuclear Regulation Authority on Sept. 10. The NRA approval is the first since the new safety standards were established following the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in March 2011.

The plant operator must submit additional paperwork to the NRA that includes construction plans detailing equipment design as the next step to resuming operations of the plant’s No. 1 and No. 2 reactors, which is not expected until early next year.

“There are pessimistic observations and misgivings that the strong and unequivocal national sentiments against nuclear power plants that we saw shortly after the March 11, 2011, disaster may be waning,” Oe said at the rally.

Oe speculated that this has emboldened the Abe administration to press forward strongly with its pro-nuclear policies.

“We should proceed with (our anti-nuclear protests) in a determined manner,” he said.