Around 30 members of the anti-nuclear organisation Verenigde Actie Kern Stop held a demonstration outside Brussels Central Station on Sunday to raise awareness about the dangers and costs of nuclear energy.
The protest coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, and the group called for an end to the funding and development of nuclear energy and weapons.
“Investing in truly sustainable climate solutions means prioritising renewable and efficient energy sources,” the organisation stated.
They emphasised the long-lasting consequences of the Chornobyl explosion, noting that a vast area around the site remains uninhabitable, and the health of affected populations continues to be at risk decades later.
The group expressed concern about “nuclear misinformation” that, in their view, normalises investments in the development and production of nuclear arms.
Meanwhile, they warned that the worsening climate crisis is hampered by misplaced faith in nuclear energy myths, delaying the implementation of safer, faster, and more cost-effective climate policies.
On the night of 25 and 26 April 1986, the No. 4 reactor at the Chornobyl plant overheated during a safety test and exploded, blowing off its 2,000-tonne roof and dispersing massive amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere.
The disaster was caused by a combination of human error and flaws in the reactor’s design, with estimates of the death toll ranging from 4,000 to over 100,000.
