Anti-atomic Demonstration in Berlin on September 18 2010

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100,000 protested in Berlin against atomic power
The anti-atomic demonstration started and ended in front of the Berlin main station
Thousands flooded the area between main station, "Reichstag" (federal parliament), "Kanzleramt" (chancellory) and other governmental buildings
Impression of the rally from a platform of the Berlin main station. The windows frame forms a "X", the symbol of the resistance in the Wendland region against Castor nuclear waste transports
Unfortunately also several parties used the huge event for their election propaganda - here a couple of flags of the "ödp" (ökologisch demokratische Partei), a conservative ecological party that some ten and more years ago had been discussed much for their right wing ecological positions (that they later had to give up - at least officially)
Main stage of the demonstration - with speakers and bands...
In the background the parliament and governmental buildings...
...and many flags of the green party
Here in the background visible: the "Reichstag" (parliament)
In the background of the railway company "DB" anti-atomic symbols and flags of the demonstration
The rally in front of the Berlin main station


About 100,000 people protested in Berlin and closed the government's quarter for several hours.

A wide alliance of environmental and anti-atomic organizations, trade unions, parties and individuals came together to protest against the government's atomic policy and against nuclear power in general. More than 100,000 people demonstrated their anti-nuclear opinion; action groups invited for direct actions and blockades during the next months to stop atomic waste transports.

Positive impressions were the promotion of a new action project against the next Castor nuclear waste transport to Gorleben in November 2010 "Castor Schottern" ("Castor gravel" - call-out for a mass action to remove the ballast from the tracks to make them impassable for the atomic train) and the inclusion of anti-coalfired power stations campaigns to the anti-atomic movement.

As often in cases of alliances with parties and other big NGOs to reach a huge amount of people the level of political analysis and critism in some speaches was not very well. Speakers of the former government parties SPD (social democrats) and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (green party), who are responsible for creating the possibilities for the pro-nuclear parties and industry to extend lifetimes of their plants and to claim concessions for their cooperation in the atomic policy, were allowed to speak and dressed up the so-called "nuclear phaseout" (the law that allowed the industry to produce more nuclear electricity and that limited the governments possibilities for restrictions of atomic facilities).
Also the presence of other party flags was annoying as they use the anti-nuclear movement for their propaganda. It is fine if party members join the anti-nuclear movement, but they should not instrumentalize the movement for their party policy.

Fortunately in the end there were also some speakers of the local resistance against nuclear power in the Wendland region - the destination of many high level radioactive waste Castor transports. They stressed that their resistance is not only about the atomic waste they don't want to have in their region, but also about nuclear power in general and the political system being the basis for the dangerous nuclear industry.