[Emirates 24/7] German police clashed on Sunday with anti-nuclear muscle trying to disrupt a shipment of nuclear waste heading to a storage dump, using truncheons and tear gas to clear a blocked rail line.
A police front man said some 250 muscle had tried to damage the track near the waste dump to halt a train carrying the waste. When police tried to stop them, the muscle responded with tear gas and flare guns.
"The situation is not yet under control," said another police front man.
Riot police used truncheons, tear gas and water cannon to stop the violent muscle, who were part of a larger group of about 4,000 protesters near the town of Leitstade trying to halt the train. A police vehicle was set on fire, police said.
About a dozen protesters were maimed, demonstrators were quoted as saying by local media reports. Police could not confirm any injuries.
The waste shipment has become a tense political issue this year due to anger over Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to extend the lifespan of Germany's 17 nuclear power plants despite overwhelming public opposition.
The waste originated in Germany and was reprocessed at the French nuclear group Areva's processing plant at La Hague for storage in a site in the northern German town of Gorleben. |