Anti-nuclear activists hold rally in Tokyo

Anti-nuclear activists have staged rallies outside the Tokyo Electric Power Company headquarters to call for the closure of all nuclear power plants in Japan.

The move follows the problems that developed at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant after the massive quake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan on March 11th.

The organizer of the rally said about 1,200 people took part in Sunday's demonstration.

The protesters marched more than 2 kilometers around the TEPCO headquarters, holding up banners and calling for the closure of nuclear plants that are not built to withstand earthquakes and tsunami.

They demanded that the government make a policy shift to use alternative energy resources instead of nuclear power. They also called on the government and Tokyo Electric Power to disclose further information and to take more responsibility for what happened.

Plans to build nuclear power plants in Japan have been suspended since the disaster. Many plants have not resumed operation after regular inspections.

The anti-nuclear groups say they will continue to hold protest rallies.

Sunday, March 27, 2011 18:22 +0900 (JST)