Austrian anti-nuclear activists widen border blockades
Random | 03.11.2000 11:32
Activists in Austria are blocking the border with the Czech Republic to protest against a nuclear power plant.
Austrian anti-nuclear activists have extended their blockades of border crossings into the Czech Republic in protest against a recently activated nuclear plant.
As of 00900 GMT on November 3rd, seven out of fifteen border crossings were closed. The other eight were to be blocked over the the next two days. The protesters say that by Sunday the entire Czech border will be sealed with the blockades lasting until Monday.
The Czech news agency CTK reported that Austrian officials had denied a Czech television crew entry across the border. Walter Greinert, an Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman, later said this had been "regrettable".
Three border crossings in Upper Austria province were already blocked on Thursday. The rest are in Lower Austria province.
Spokespeople for the protesters said the blockades were an “emergency action” taken because operators of the Temelin plant had not listened to their “minimum demand” for a halt to the chain reaction at the plant.
The Temelin plant is a source of friction between the Czech Republic and Austria - a nationwide referendum rejected nuclear power on Austrian territory in 1978.
Activation of the Temelin plant’s fuel was met by border blockades by Austrian activists last month.
Czech Premier Milos Zeman and his Austrian counterpart Wolfgang Schuessel met on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
They agreed that Temelin would undergo safety checks by a European Union-sponsored commission of experts and more talks are to take place in Vienna later this month.
Zeman insisted the Czechs would not discontinue the plant’s fission reaction as requested by activists, adding that blockades would damage the Vienna talks.
“I believe that the protests will be over by Monday,” Zeman told reporters Thursday in the Slovak capital Bratislava. “Otherwise, my visit to Vienna is threatened.”
As of 00900 GMT on November 3rd, seven out of fifteen border crossings were closed. The other eight were to be blocked over the the next two days. The protesters say that by Sunday the entire Czech border will be sealed with the blockades lasting until Monday.
The Czech news agency CTK reported that Austrian officials had denied a Czech television crew entry across the border. Walter Greinert, an Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman, later said this had been "regrettable".
Three border crossings in Upper Austria province were already blocked on Thursday. The rest are in Lower Austria province.
Spokespeople for the protesters said the blockades were an “emergency action” taken because operators of the Temelin plant had not listened to their “minimum demand” for a halt to the chain reaction at the plant.
The Temelin plant is a source of friction between the Czech Republic and Austria - a nationwide referendum rejected nuclear power on Austrian territory in 1978.
Activation of the Temelin plant’s fuel was met by border blockades by Austrian activists last month.
Czech Premier Milos Zeman and his Austrian counterpart Wolfgang Schuessel met on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
They agreed that Temelin would undergo safety checks by a European Union-sponsored commission of experts and more talks are to take place in Vienna later this month.
Zeman insisted the Czechs would not discontinue the plant’s fission reaction as requested by activists, adding that blockades would damage the Vienna talks.
“I believe that the protests will be over by Monday,” Zeman told reporters Thursday in the Slovak capital Bratislava. “Otherwise, my visit to Vienna is threatened.”
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