Hundreds of protesters converged on the proposed site of two new nuclear ‘mega-reactors’ at Hinkley Point in Somerset over the weekend.
Following a march through Bridgwater on Saturday, a rally was held with speakers including CND’s Kate Hudson and a specialist engineer who has worked at the nuclear plant for almost thirty years. The engineer decried safety procedures across the nuclear industry and said that a disaster similar to Fukushima was “inevitable” in the UK.
Today a mass trespass on the site was carried out, with more than 50 protesters scaling the fences and scattering symbolic wild flower seeds in order to ‘reclaim’ the land. Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett was also in attendance to support the actions of the protesters. There have been at least 8 arrests so far and others are still known to be on the site of the proposed reactors.
CND’s General Secretary Kate Hudson said:
“At a time when investors from China, France and Russia are pulling out of nuclear power deals across the UK, the government must acknowledge the dead-end represented by this dangerous and excessively-subsidised energy form. We should be investing in renewable energies, not pouring billions into a dirty energy source without a future.”
“The actions at Hinkley Point over the weekend show the strength of opposition to nuclear power – and it’s time the government got in step with public opinion in the UK and across the world.”