Wearing goggles and protective suits and holding banners reading “If nuclear disaster occurs, The Palace would become nothing,” three representatives from environmental protection groups protested yesterday in front of The Palace luxury apartment complex in Taipei, the nation’s most expensive apartment complex.
Standing in the rain, the trio shouted slogans such as “I love Taiwan, no nuclear disasters” and on Renai Road in front of the building.
About 30 police officers were called to the site. They held up a warning sign informing protesters that their actions were illegal because they had not applied for a permit to demonstrate.
Photo: Liu Li-jen, Taipei Times
The protesters dispersed shortly after a second warning was given.
The activists said The Palace is close to two nuclear plants located in New Taipei City (新北市) — it is only 28km away from the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant in Shihmen District (石門), 22.3km from the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in Wanli District (萬里) and 39km from the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao District (貢寮), which is still under constriction.
If a nuclear disaster occurs at any of the three plants, residents of The Palace would all become refugees, the protesters said.
Green Consumers Foundation chairman Jay Fang (方儉) said the most expensive real estate in the country would lose all of its value and its residents would have to be evacuated if a radiation leakage occurred. Residents should therefore use their economic and political influence to urge the government to end nuclear power, he said.
“What is most important now is to reconsider if nuclear power is necessary,” Taiwan Environmental Protection Union secretary--general Lee Cho-han (李卓翰) said, adding that with the upcoming anniversary of the disaster at Japan’s -Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, Taiwanese should not only mourn the deceased, but reflect on the risks in Taiwan.
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