Anti-nuclear activists stop German fuel train



HAMBURG, Germany, March 21 ? German anti-nuclear activists held up a train carrying spent nuclear fuel rods bound for a British reprocessing centre for four hours on Thursday before authorities cleared the track, police said.



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Environmental activists from the Robin Wood group said the cargo from the northern German power plant in Kruemmel, destined for the Sellafield reprocessing plant, had been stopped between the towns of Escheburg and Bergedorf.
Four activists chained themselves to the track. The organisation said 250 protesters had taken part in the demonstration.
A spokeswoman for the federal border police said the blockade had been ended after four hours. She said six demonstrators had been detained and the convoy resumed its journey without further disturbances.
The train carrying three containers will collect further nuclear waste at the Brokdorf, Grohnde and Neckarwestheim power plants before crossing into France. From there the material will be taken to Britain.
In recent years, tens of thousands of German anti-nuclear activists have tried to stop a number of transports of nuclear waste heading to reprocessing plants in France and Britain as well as thwart the return of the reprocessed fuel rods.


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