CASTOR ACTIONS, GERMANY, 2001

A variety of Greenpeace Germany actions against the resumption of Castor transports between Germany and reprocessing plants La Hague in France and Sellafield, UK mostly involving actions on railway tracks. Footage shot from March to May 2001, including:

1. GREENPEACE STAFF FORMING HUMAN CHAIN STATING 'STOP CASTOR' NEAR GORLEBEN, Dannenberg, 1.3.2001, 2 mins. 28 secs: Greenpeace staff protested against the resumption of Castor transports. About 100 employees unrolled 3000 squaremeters bolts of material to a huge 'X', the symbol of resistance of the anti-nuclear movement. Next to the X the staff formed a human chain stating 'Stop Castor'.
Statement: Brigitte Behrens, Greenpeace Germany executive director

2. X-PAINTING ON CASTOR LOADING CRANE, Dannenberg, 8.3.2001, 2 mins 12 secs: Greenpeace activists climb onto building joint to the Castor loading crane (Verladebahnhof) in Dannenberg (Lower Saxony) / Niedersachsen) and paint huge yellow X on outside wall. Next to anti castor symbol some 60 activists unroll banners saying ' Stop Castor'.
End of March six castor containers with about 85 tons of nuclear waste are supposed to be rolling from the nuclear reprocessing plant in La Hague to the German interim storage site at Gorleben.
Statement: Veit Bürger, Greenpeace Germany nuclear expert

3. CASTOR: BARREL ACTION AT FRENCH GERMAN BORDER, Kehl/Straßburg, 13.3.2001, 2 mins 30 secs: Some twenty Greenpeace activists mark the road between France and Germany at Kehl with a row of one hundred and fifty yellow barrels (with black symbol for radioactivity). About 1250 tons of nuclear waste are supposed to be taken from German nuclear plants and interim storage site (Gorleben) to the French reprocessing plant (WAA) in La Hague within the next 5 years. A banner says 'Das deutsche Entsorgungskonzept - Atommüll nach Frankreich' (The German concept of nuclear waste disposal: nuclear waste off to France')
Statement (in German): Sven Teske, Greenpeace Germany nuclear expert

4. CASTOR: OCCUPATION OBSERVATION TOWER AT INTERIM STORAGE SITE, GORLEBEN, Gorleben, Wendland, 16.3.2001, 2 mins 17 secs: Some 40 Greenpeace activists occupy an observation tower at the interim storage site in Gorleben in protest against the forthcoming nuclear transports (Castortransporte) from France to Germany. With special ladders the activists get over the barbed-wire fence and climb the 30 meter high tower near the storage building. On the tower they unroll a banner with the message 'Stop Castor'.
Statement: Veit Bürger, Greenpeace Germany nuclear expert

5.CASTOR: BLOCKING JEETZEL BRIDGE, Dannenberg/Hitzacker, 27 March, 3 mins 56 secs: Some 50 Greenpeace activists occupied a 40 foot high bridge over the river Jeetzel near Hitzacker, in front of the path of the transport of nuclear waste going to Gorleben. At first unnoticed by the police, the environmentalists went under the bridge in inflatables and climbed up to the track using special ladders and ropes. They have fixed chains to the rails and are securing the climbers under the bridge with them. Between the two piers of the bridge they are unfurling a 30-ft to 15-ft triangular banner saying 'Stop Castor'. Activists from 15 nations are involved in the action. Greenpeace is occupying the bridge in protest against the resumption of nuclear transports between France and Germany. The bridge over the Jeetzel is the 'eye of the needle' for nuclear waste shipments to interim store Gorleben.
In the course of the morning special unit police got the activists down from their ropes and took them into custody. The police sawed off part of the track bed with chainsaws so as to be able to remove the activists entrenched there. About 30 activists were also taken into custody while on the water, and were taken to a barrack.

6.CASTOR RAILBLOCKADE NEAR DAHLENBURG, Dahlenburg/Dannenberg, Wendland, 27-3-2001, 1 min 54 secs: About 50 Greenpeace activists have blockaded parts of the railtrack between Dahlenburg and Dannenberg near the crossing of the B216 in protest against fourthcoming nuclear transport of 85 tons of nuclear waste from French reprocessing plant in La Hague to German interim storage site at Gorleben. Four activists have chained themselves to the rails with a special construction. Other activists carrying banners saying 'Stop Castor' were arrested by the police.

7. TRUCK FOR NUCLEAR TRAIN TRANSPORT STOPPED BY GREENPEACE IN WÜRZBURG, 9.4.2001, 1 min 38 secs: Greenpeace protests against new deliveries of nuclear waste from Germany to France at a railway siding at Würzburg. Some eleven environmental activists chain themselves with steel pipes to a special railway truck which is supposed to travel to Grafenrheinfeld and there be loaded with nuclear containers intended for reprocessing in France. Other activists holding German and French banners saying, 'no nuclear waste to France'.

8. ANTI CASTOR FOOTBRIDGE BLOCKADE, Grafenrheinfleld (Lower Franconia)/ Unterfranken, 10 April 2001, 2 min 39 secs: Greenpeace is continuing to protest against the resumption of nuclear transports from Germany to France. At Sennfeld near Schweinfurt some fifteen environmental activists in the early hours of the morning succeeded in occupying a footbridge under which a nuclear transport from the power plant at Grafenrheinfeld is due to pass in a few hours. Some of the activists have lowered themselves down on ropes above the tracks and unfurled banners saying 'Stop Castor' and 'National responsibility means not sending nuclear waste to France'.
Statement: Karsten Smid, Greenpeace Germany climate expert

9.GENERAL SHOTS CASTOR FROM PHILIPPSBURG, Philippsburg, 10-4-2001, 54 secs The first Castor transport since 1998 left the nuclear power plant Philippsburg. The castor casks first left for the train station Wörth where the casks from Biblis, Philippsburg and Grafenrheinfeld are put together to travel to nuclear reprocessing plant La Hague.
Note: date on board is not correct

10. CASTOR WAGON CHAIN ACTION, MANNHEIM, Mannheim, 23 -4-2001, 2 min 39 secs: Greenpeace activists protest at a railway siding in Mannheim against the imminent transport of nuclear waste from the Neckerwestheim nuclear power plant in Baden-Württemberg to the UK reprocessing plant at Sellafield. Some twelve environmental activists have chained themselves to three empty goods wagons which are supposed to travel to Neckarwestheim and there be loaded with nuclear containers intended for reprocessing in the UK. Activists are holding banners saying in German and English, 'No German nuclear waste to Sellafield'.
Statement: Veit Bürger, Greenpeace Germany nuclear expert

11. BANNER ACTION AGAINST CASTOR TRANSPORT TO SELLAFIELD, Walheim, 25-4-2001, 1 min 8 Secs: Greenpeace again protests against imminent exports of nuclear waste going from the nuclear power plant in Neckarwestheim (Baden Württemberg) to Sellafield in the UK. Immediately before the train with three flasks of nuclear waste was to start from loading-station Walheim some twenty environmentalists unfurled a hundred foot square banner saying 'Stop Sellafield' in a vineyard in Walheim opposite to the loading station. Despite a massive police presence the action with the banner, which can be seen far and wide, is to be continued the whole day.
Statement: Veit Bürger, Greenpeace Germany energy expert

12. TREEPLANTING ACTION AT NUCLEAR POWER PLANT STADE, Stade, 11-5-2001, 1 min 35 secs: 20 Greenpeace activists dressed as gardeners plant trees on the railtrack in front of the nuclear power plant Stade in protest against the coming Castor transport to La Hague.
Statement: Veit Bürger, Greenpeace Germany energy expert

15 Mar, 2001

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