Thousands march to protest nuclear power

Protesters in Basel and Bern have had their say on the controversial topic of nuclear energy.

Some 2,000 people from Switzerland, France and Germany gathered in Basel on Monday for a parade demanding the shutdown of the ageing nuclear plant in Fessenheim, north of Basel.

They carried banners reading, “Nuclear power, no thanks” and “Shut down Fessenheim”. A number of politicians also attended the event, including Guy Morin, president of the Basel City cantonal government.

Morin said that a future without nuclear power would be possible if the political will was there.

Along the southern part of the Rhine river, another 700 people demonstrated against nuclear power and in observation of the disaster in Chernobyl 25 years ago.

In Bern, about 600 people participated in the traditional Easter march. The motto of this year’s rally was: “To invest in life rather than profit from destruction”.

Demonstators marched along the Aare river calling for peace and the end of nuclear power – in particular the closing of the nearby Mühleberg power plant.

Meanwhile, about 50 people in the Bernese Jura region took part in a hike supporting renewable energy. The route included the Mont Soleil solar power station as well as the wind station on Mont Crosin.