Protesters invade aging nuclear plant on Franco-German border

Protesters from environmental group, Greenpeace, on Tuesday broke into France's oldest nuclear plant at Fessenheim on the Franco-German border and occupied parts of the operating section and the roof, French radio reported. The operation, similar to dozens of others aimed at attracting attention to the ecology, caused no danger to the operations at the plant, which was said to be running normally. Greenpeace has regularly accused the government of not paying attention to dangers at its nuclear plants, particularly to security issues and risk of terrorist attack. To demonstrate this, the environmentalist group has broken into several of France's 58 nuclear plants around the country, despite heavy security. France derives around 80 percent of its power from the nuclear sector and successive governments, unlike Germany, have refused to eliminate nuclear power from the energy grid. But the current Socialist government says it will reduce dependence on this power by 25 percent and close about 40 percent of reactors over the next two decades. Fessenheim, however, because it dates from the late 1970s, is due to be dismantled in just over a decade. "Europe 1" radio said that around 50 Greenpeace militants had entered the plant at dawn and had unfurled a banner complaining about French nuclear policy and the dangers this represents for France and Europe.