Tens of thousands of Germans protest government decision to extend nuclear energy use

Tens of thousands at German anti-nuke demo

BERLIN — Tens of thousands of Germans marched through Berlin to protest their government’s recent decision to extend the life of the nation’s nuclear power plants by about 12 years.

Demonstrators blew whistles and waved flags warning against the dangers of nuclear energy Saturday at a protest that drew Germans from across the nation to the capital.

Last month, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government decided to scrap plans to shut down the nation’s 17 nuclear reactors by 2021. A recent poll showed a majority of Germans oppose the legislation.

Nuclear energy has been unpopular in Germany since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.