Anti-Nuclear Organizing: Evolution and Persistence

From Mass Demonstrations to Network Resistance

While the massive anti-nuclear demonstrations of the 1970s declined, grassroots opposition to nuclear power has persisted through network forms. Groups like Sortir du Nucléaire (Exit Nuclear) coordinate hundreds of local associations, maintaining vigilance over France's 56 reactors.

Post-Fukushima activism revealed both continuities and changes in anti-nuclear organizing. Human chains linked endangered reactors. Die-ins dramatized invisible radiation risks. New participants joined veteran activists, though mobilization levels remained below historic peaks. The movement increasingly emphasized renewable alternatives rather than just opposition.

Nuclear Waste and Future Generations

The proposed nuclear waste repository at Bure has generated sustained resistance. Since the 1990s, local farmers and national activists have opposed burying radioactive waste in Champagne's clay formations. The struggle raises profound questions about intergenerational justice and democratic decision-making.

Bure's opponents have created an occupied zone similar to other ZADs, establishing collective living spaces and resistance infrastructure. State repression has been severe, with activists facing terrorism charges for opposing the project. The movement connects local land defense to global questions about nuclear legacies.