Muehleberg peaceful anti-nuclear protest (©2011 Herbi Ditl, flickr.com/photos/herbivore)
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Swiss anti-nuclear groups are continuing to call for an end to nuclear power plants, with the latest in a series of peaceful protests taking place Tuesday 26 April at Muehleberg.
An estimated 500 people formed a human chain around the centre from 07:00 to 08:30, but workers were allowed to enter the plant.
A human chain around BKW, which owns the Muehleberg nuclear power plant in Switzerland, 26 April (©2011 Herbi Ditl, flickr.com/photos/herbivore)
The protest was supported by the Socialist and Green political parties, as well as several groups, including Greenpeace. It marked the day 25 years ago when Chernobyl became the world’s worst nuclear accident, with an explosion and fire at the power plant in Ukraine that spread radioactivity across much of Europe.
The Bernese power station received a vote of confidence from citizens in February, who agreed to plans to rebuild the aging plant, but after Japan’s post-earthquake Fukushima nuclear problems Switzerland’s energy minister, Doris Leuthard, called a temporary halt to all nuclear power plant construction.
The groups protesting in Bern have set up a camp in front of the offices of BKW, which owns Muehleberg, and say they will stay there until the plant is closed down. The city of Bern is currently tolerating their presence.
Ed. note: Herbi Ditl on flickr has a collection of photos of the camp as well as protests
Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Plans are afoot in Zurich to intall “bike lifts” to help weary cyclists tackle steep hills. Already introduced in Norway, the lifts operate similarly to conveyer-belts, the cyclists resting their foot on a moving band which then slides them up the hill.
In spite of Zurich’s relative lack of hills, there are a few key sites where bike riders could apparently do with some help. The newspaper 20 Minuten suggests the stretch between Zurich and Höngg might be one possibility. The system has been backed by Green Party transport campaigner Guido Trevisan.
Links to other sites: 20 Minuten (German), The Mirror
video, Trampe bike rail in Trondheim, Norway
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Eric Stauffer says he will rid the streets of Geneva of beggars within 45 days of being elected to the cantonal government, if he is elected 15 November. The leader of the Mouvement des Citoyens Genevois (MCG) party which was the undeniable winner of Sunday’s 11 October elections to the cantonal parliament, or Grand Conseil, said on early morning radio 12 October that if elected to the seven-person cabinet, he will work to remove beggars from the streets.
