TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – More than 300 people laid down in front of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Saturday (April 27) to reject proposals to extend the life of three nuclear power plants.
The protest echoed a similar action by 50,000 people near Taipei Railway Station on April 27, 2014. The demonstrations eventually led to the government abandoning plans for a fourth nuclear plant.
While the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government wants to make Taiwan nuclear-free, the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) is proposing legal amendments to allow existing nuclear plants to function longer.
Protesters claimed the supporters of nuclear energy were harboring illusions, especially after the recent earthquakes, per CNA. They singled out what they called the “vague” stance of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which holds the balance of power at the Legislative Yuan and includes past critics of nuclear energy.
The anti-nuclear activists said they launched a petition against the moves by opposition lawmakers, and more than 1,000 people have already signed. If lawmakers approve the KMT motion, the campaigners said they would surround the Legislative Yuan to protest.
The Ministry of Environment said Friday (April 26) that it was standing by its well-known views on nuclear energy. Safety was most important, while the issue of nuclear waste should be resolved, and any changes to nuclear policies should be backed by a national consensus, the ministry said.