RUSSIA: October 12, 2007


ST PETERSBURG, Russia

Police in Russia's second city of St Petersburg detained around 10 people on Thursday protesting against the arrival of a ship carrying nuclear waste from Europe.


"Stop nuclear transport," said a 10 metre long banner unfurled by protesters in front of the city's parliament.

Police warned the protesters that their rally had not been sanctioned and was therefore illegal. About 20 minutes later the police pushed into the group, tore down the banner and dragged around 10 people into waiting vans.

"I came because I want to live, Europe should store this stuff on their own soil," said Yelena, who described herself as an anarchist.

The ship had sailed from the Dutch port of Rotterdam with around 500 tonnes of nuclear waste from a European enrichment firm.

Greenpeace said Russia accepts around 10,000 tonnes of nuclear waste a year which is then transported by train to sites in the Urals and Siberia.

"It's extremely dangerous, starting here in St Petersburg where it is loaded on to trains for its onward journey," said Vladimir Tchouprov, head of the energy section at Greenpeace in Russia.


REUTERS NEWS SERVICE