Environmental activists were able to break into two nuclear power plants in Sweden during a protest at the weekend.Officials from Greenpeace said that the move was meant to bring attention to the lack of proper security at the Ringhals plant in southern Sweden and the Forsmark facility in the east. The group said that some 70 activists had made their way into restricted portions of the two plants, although plant officials said the number of activists was much lower.
Greenpeace Sweden head Annika Jacobsson told reporters from the TT news agency, “The fact that we got this far shows a completely insufficient security.” Greenpeace argues that the plants should be closed due the breach because they are a major threat to public safety and health.
Jacobsson went on to say, “What the EU hasn’t tested for is whether unauthorized people could get into the plants. What we have done today is show that security is alarmingly lax, when 70 activists could get into restricted areas of the plants using ladders. They are a serious threat to the population’s health and safety. It is both what we saw today – that unauthorized can gain entry – but also the results from previous stress-tests.”
Police officials told reporters that the protesters would be removed from both facilities. Stefan Dalhhielm said on behalf of the Halland police force, “As soon as they cycled into the restricted area, they committed a crime.”