Thousands of people in Taipei and Kaohsiung yesterday marched against nuclear power, urging the government to put more effort into phasing out nuclear power plants by 2025 and promoting renewable energy sources.
The marches were organized by the National Nuclear Abolition Action Platform with the theme “Farewell to Nuclear Power for a Beautiful Future.”
Demonstrators in Taipei started their march on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building, while those in Kaohsiung started from Aozihdi Forest Park (凹仔底森林公園).
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Proponents of nuclear power have been gaining support after a referendum last year seeking to abolish the government’s “nuclear-power free homeland by 2025” policy garnered more than 5.8 million votes in favor to 4 million against.
When proponents of nuclear power launch signature drives for new referendum proposals, people nationwide should join hands to prevent their attempts to keep nuclear power plants, platform spokeswoman Tsuei Su-hsin (崔愫欣) said in Taipei.
The platform estimated that the Taipei march drew 10,000 participants, while the Taipei Police Department said that it would not provide an estimate to avoid accusations that it purposefully underestimated the number.
Photo: Chiang Ying-ying / AP
More than 18,000 bundles of high-level radioactive waste and 210,000 barrels of low-level radioactive waste have been produced by the nation’s three operational nuclear power plants, the platform said, adding that the waste includes more than 100,000 barrels of low-level waste stored on Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) without residents’ consent.
If the nation cannot tackle nuclear waste, it should not use nuclear power, it said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) joined the Taipei march for the first time since taking office in May 2016 and walked in a group led by environmental organizations, instead of expressing her support on Facebook as she did in previous years.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Delivering a short speech in front of the Taipei Guest House before the march, Tsai expressed her gratitude to the advocates who have been campaigning to phase out nuclear power for decades.
It has been rumored that the nation would face power shortages without nuclear energy and that it does not have the necessary conditions to develop renewable energy, but these rumors have been debunked, Tsai said.
She said that as long as she is in office, the government would press on with its plans to abolish nuclear power, reduce the burning of coal and build a renewable power industry.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Former premier William Lai (賴清德) also joined the Taipei march alongside Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦).
Members of the New Power Party, Social Democratic Party, Taiwan Radical Wings and Green Party also participated in the marches.
Despite an invitation from the platform last week, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) did not attend the marches.
Photo: Sam Yeh / AFP
Taiwanese should face the nuclear power issue pragmatically, instead of simplifying it as a matter of support or objection, Ko said on Friday when asked if he supported the marches.
The nation’s nuclear power plants are too close to densely populated urban areas, but the government cannot even create an evacuation plan for people living within 30km of them, he said.
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