Rally in Tokyo against Sendai restart

June 1, 2014

Rally held against restarting Sendai nuclear plant

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140601_14.html

A rally has been held in central Tokyo to oppose the restart of a nuclear power plant in southern Japan. The Sendai plant in Kagoshima Prefecture could be the first to return online under stricter safety standards.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Diet on Sunday carrying placards and banners. Senior citizens and families also joined the demonstration.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority is in the final phase of safety screenings for the plant. All of Japan's reactors have to meet the stricter standards introduced last year in response to the 2011 Fukushima accident.

The protest was organized by opponents of nuclear power who have been holding rallies every Friday near the prime minister's office.

A woman who brought her 2-year-old son to Sunday's rally said she cannot accept the restart of the Sendai plant for the sake of future generations.

She urged the government to put priority on people's lives rather than the economy.

A man praised a recent court ruling that ordered the operator of another nuclear plant not to restart its reactors.

He said the ruling tells people that nuclear power plants must not be operated in a country where earthquakes occur frequently. He added that all the reactors in Japan should be scrapped as soon as possible.

The organizers say about 10,000 people took part in the demonstration, but police say they counted about 1,300 participants.

Jun. 1, 2014 - Updated 15:09 UTC