Japanese hold anti-nuclear rallies three months after quake

Japanese hold anti-nuclear rallies three months after quake

2011-06-12 02:01:33 GMT+7 (ICT)

TOKYO (BNO NEWS) -- Thousands of people on Saturday rallied across Japan, calling for the closure of all nuclear power plants in the country, NHK Television reported.

The series of anti-nuclear demonstrations coincided with the 3 month anniversary of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami that resulted in the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

About 2,400 protesters took part in a rally in central Tokyo and called for a change in the government's energy policies. A man from Fukushima Prefecture said the nuclear accident is a problem for all Japanese people since the country continues to rely on nuclear power.

The protesters then marched to the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the Fukushima plant.

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was severely damaged on March 11 when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami devastated the country. The disaster disabled the cooling systems of the plant, and radioactive elements leaked into the sea and were later found in water, air and food products in some parts of Japan.

At least 23,482 people were killed, while 8,069 people remain missing. There are still 88,361 people staying in shelters in 21 prefectures around Japan.

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