Protests against nuclear waste transport in Ahaus: large demonstration on October 4th!

Protests against nuclear waste transport in Ahaus: large demonstration on October 4th!

Things are currently very busy in Ahaus: the city is becoming the scene of a large-scale protest against the planned transport of nuclear waste. This will begin on Sunday, September 27, 2025, with a large demonstration starting at 11 a.m. in front of City Hall. Music by Marta Latour will accompany the participants and set the mood for a peaceful rally that will lead through Hindenburg-Allee and Schorlemer Straße to the intersection at Schumacherring. A sit-in with live music is planned there, which will bring the protest to life. The way back leads back to the intersection of Schorlemer Str./Parallelstr./Bahnübergang.

The protest actions are not a flash in the pan: together with national initiatives, an alliance meeting will take place in the Dorothee Sölle House at Wüllener Str. 18 to discuss future steps. Supporting organizations and initiatives from Ahaus and Münsterland are heavily involved, which makes the dimension of the resistance clear.

Criticism of nuclear transport

The reason for the protests is serious: The Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) has approved that 152 castors from Jülich and 21 castors from Garching will be transported to Ahaus. Initiatives such as BUND express concerns and warn of the risks to people and the environment that these transports could pose, which should not be underestimated. In addition, the police union (GdP) sees the planned transports as a truly “pointless, mammoth task” for the emergency services. Alexander Vogt, member of the state parliament for the SPD, criticizes the state government for failing to comply with agreements and complains about the problems that this approval brings with it for safety and traffic in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Particular attention is also paid to how we deal with the problem of nuclear waste. The original plan was to build a new interim storage facility in Jülich, but these plans were thrown out because NRW did not want to bear the financial costs of around 400 million euros. As a result, the transports now have to be carried out more urgently and quickly.

Legal action and civil protests

Even the city of Ahaus is considering legal action against the transports, which are still on the agenda after the unsuccessful lawsuits against the storage of the nuclear waste containers in Ahaus. The residents and environmentalists also clearly express their displeasure: “The transports are absolutely irresponsible,” explains one activist about the current situation. As the Süddeutsche reports, the BUND has also lodged an objection against the transport permit in order to prevent immediate enforcement and to keep legal advice channels open.

There are various travel options for everyone who would like to take part in the demonstration. The city can be easily reached with the S70 express bus or the regional train. Car drivers can also find parking spaces in the area. Ahaus expects the situation to worsen and the next few days must be monitored critically.

The next protest highlight is already coming up with the big demonstration on October 4th, which will attract all critics of nuclear power to Ahaus. The resistance to nuclear waste shipments remains fresh and active.