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Nukes away: Thousands protest Japan’s return to atomic energy (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Published time: June 24, 2012 03:05
Edited time: June 24, 2012 08:10
Anti nuclear activists hold placards and shout slogans during protest in front of the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on June 22, 2012. (AFP Photo/Rie Ishii, Video by Youtube user ken23qu)
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Around 20,000 people gathered in Tokyo to protest the Japanese government’s unilateral decision to restart two nuclear reactors. Many in Japan are wary of nuclear power, as memories of last year’s devastating Fukushima disaster as still fresh.

Slogans chanted by protesters included “No to the restart!”, while posters brandished “No nukes”. The rally, organized in front of the prime minister’s residence, was attended by a number of public figures, including Nobel-prize winning author Kenzaburo Oe, investigative journalist Satoshi Kamata and electronic music pioneer Ryuichi Sakamoto of Yellow Magic Orchestra fame.   

Activists promised to hold another anti-nuclear rally next week.

Opposition to the government’s decision to restart the reactors just a month after the country’s last nuclear power plants were shut down has been on the rise. Activists managed to gather some 7.5  million signatures through an online petition.  

Last week, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda gave the go-ahead to restart two nuclear reactors at the Oi plant in western Japan. The decision was taken in conjunction with local authorities, though Noda fell short on his promise to not act without public backing.

Authorities said the decision was necessary to prevent a power crunch in the country, which is scant on energy resources, and has traditionally relied on oil imports and the atom.

Japan is still reeling from the devastating March 2011 earthquake-spurred tsunami that killed over 15,000 people and caused a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant by crippling its cooling system.

Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from the affected area, though there have been no recorded deaths as a direct consequence of the nuclear meltdown.

Japanese anti nuclear power activists hold banners as they walk down a street during a demonstration in Tokyo on June 23, 2012. (AFP Photo/Toru Yamanaka)
Japanese anti nuclear power activists hold banners as they walk down a street during a demonstration in Tokyo on June 23, 2012. (AFP Photo/Toru Yamanaka)
An elderly woman sits in front of an anti nuclear banner during a demonstration in a street in Tokyo on June 23, 2012. (AFP Photo/Toru Yamanaka)
An elderly woman sits in front of an anti nuclear banner during a demonstration in a street in Tokyo on June 23, 2012. (AFP Photo/Toru Yamanaka)
Japanese police stand guard as anti nuclear power activists hold banners as they walk down a street during a demonstration in Tokyo on June 23, 2012. (AFP Photo/Toru Yamanaka)
Japanese police stand guard as anti nuclear power activists hold banners as they walk down a street during a demonstration in Tokyo on June 23, 2012. (AFP Photo/Toru Yamanaka)
Anti nuclear activists hold placards and shout slogans during protest in front of the prime minister′s official residence in Tokyo on June 22, 2012. (AFP Photo/Rie Ishii)
Anti nuclear activists hold placards and shout slogans during protest in front of the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on June 22, 2012. (AFP Photo/Rie Ishii)
Japanese police officers (bottom R) stand guard as anti nuclear activists hold placards and shout slogans during a protest in front of the prime minister′s official residence in Tokyo on June 22, 2012. (AFP Photo/Rie Ishii)
Japanese police officers (bottom R) stand guard as anti nuclear activists hold placards and shout slogans during a protest in front of the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on June 22, 2012. (AFP Photo/Rie Ishii)

Comments (17)

A. Smith (unregistered) 25.06.2012 08:44

Allegedly the Japanese Yakuza (Mafia) in league with the Jewish Mafia MoneyChangers are greatly invested in the OLD Japanese Reactors that should have been retired but now seen as nothing but enormous money cows.

The corners being shaved by dumping the extremely radioactive waste straight into the Pacific Ocean, Tokyo Sea, getting PAID to mothball the entire Fuki Reactor complex, simply illegally burying the reactor core waste beneath some dirt rather than legally spending billions to have it stored in a high level long term radioactive storage facility AND providing a perfect instrament to launder the Yakuza and Shyster Mafia money thru at the same time.

And folks 'wonder' why even thou the vast majority of Japanese citizens now eating, breathing radioactive Cesium particles and contamined food, water and air do not want Japanese Reactors reactivated, they'll start them up anyway.

In a mere 50 years commercial nuclear reactors have globally doubled the earths background radioactive gamma particles per second in Chernobyl and doubled them again with Japans huge 3x melt-down. The Cesium released which is largely responsible for the dangerious increase in background radiation is HOT for 300 YEARS.

A single large nuclear fall-out release in the next 250 Years like that of Chernobyl or Japan's which would double again the current 50cpm to 100cpm would place higher altitude areas on earth dangerious to all humanity, mammals and creatures that would stay in those areas longer than 24-36 hours at a time.

The chances of yet another doubling of the Radioactive Background Rate during the next 250 YEARS is about 100% CERTAIN due to the soul-less actions by the Zionist MoneyChangers running these old reactors far past their 40 year lifespan to milk every penny they can make while spilling Tritium into YOUR drinking water and any other kind of radioactive waste the Operators think they can get away with into the ground, water, air.

+16

Undo

20.000 gathered in Tokyo? (unregistered) 25.06.2012 06:10

Have the rest vacated the city ?

In Tokyo there are always millions gathered wherever you go as they have no other choice. That country has the highest population density of the planet ?

Haven't you seen those "hotels" where all you get as your "room" is a coffin? yes, I mean it, it is a tube, you can only enter your room horizontally lying down, you cannot even sit up. It is like one of those niches in the cemetery. While I applaud some things of the Japanese, such as their traditional politeness, they are truly sick in their minds by that way of living.

+1

Undo

oneirotrader (unregistered) 25.06.2012 02:37

"They are relying on uranium, another non-renewable resource that needs to be mined from the ground which contaminates water tables and destroys the environment"
The mining is contamining, but the spent waste is even more dangerous. Nuclear energy is not worth it.

+2

Undo

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