More than 20 activists with the environmental group Greenpeace scaled the fences of a nuclear power plant in southern France and broke into the facility on Monday, demanding its closure.
The activists were able to breach the walls of the Tricastin plant at dusk. Dressed all in red, they then hung a yellow-and-black banner on the wall above a picture of President Francois Hollande that read: “Tricastin, nuclear accident — President of the catastrophe?” Reuters reported.
A spokeswoman for Greenpeace France, Yannick Rousselet, issued a statement: “With this action, Greenpeace is asking Francois Hollande to close the Tricastin plant, which is among the five most dangerous in France.”
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for EDF Energy said 17 of the activists were arrested for unauthorized access. EDF also said the activists did not reach the plant’s reactor units.
Mr. Hollande has vowed to cut back on the share of nuclear energy in the country by 25 percent by 2025.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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