Protestors call Sizewell C 'a nuclear island' at a March on Sunday
Protestors met in Leiston and marched to Sizewell, to voice their opinions against the plans to build a nuclear plant in Suffolk.
Hundreds of Protesters gathered on Sunday 15 May, coming together in East Suffolk to join Stop Sizewell C and Together Against Sizewell C. They marched from Leiston all the way to Sizewell.
They also brought to attention the delay in the decision making, which has now been pushed back more than 6 weeks from the initial deadline from the 25th May to 8th July. Protesters said they will use this to push their movement forward.
The protest was a group of all age ranges, many carried sings and banners, with phrases such as...
- 'Oh we don't want to be beside the C'
- 'Nuclear energy is not green, stop Sizewell C'
- 'The greatest threat to our planet, s the belief that someone else will save it'
- 'Suffolk Coastal Green Party'
- 'Chaos coast, coming soon'
- 'Nuclear disaster ahead'
- 'Road works (for years) ahead'
- 'We'll all pay'
And many more, even Bill Nighy has voiced his disapproval of Sizewell C
During the march you could hear bells, whistles, and chants that had been made to popular songs.
All the speakers at the Sizewell C Protest
All the speakers at the Sizewell C Protest.
Louise Gooch Labour, Kirkley & Pakefield and David Beavan Liberal Democrat, Southwold, Reydon and Walberswick. Invitations were extended to two Conservative councillors but they were unavailable.
All the protestors had gathered at Sizewell beach for a rally, where they heard from multiple speakers.
Alison Downes of Stop Sizewell C said: “We have all come here today to show that a decision to go ahead with Sizewell C would be a wrong decision."
"EDF has clearly not taken this community with them, and the government has totally betrayed the faith of local people in due process by repeated commitments to Sizewell C when it doesn’t have planning consent, let alone a Final Investment Decision.
"Two wrongs don’t make a right, so where is the sense in copying Hinkley C, badly overrun and overspent using a faulty reactor design that’s been offline in China for the last 10 months?”
Pete Wilkinson, Chair of Together Against Sizewell C said “As we have shown comprehensively in evidence to the government and the planning authorities, the case against Sizewell C is overwhelming."
"If the Secretary of State dares to approve its construction in the face of that evidence and in the knowledge that nuclear is a declining industry, competes badly with renewables on all fronts and will fail to provide the sort of response required by the existential emergency created by climate change, the government can add dereliction of duty to its charge sheet.”
Adrian Ramsay, co-leader of the Green Party, said: “We face an unprecedented rise in the cost of living."
"Building a nuclear power station with the kind of subsidy the Government is talking about will lock in raised electricity prices for years to come.
"Renewably generated electricity is now far, far cheaper and will deliver far more sustainable jobs for Suffolk people and its independent businesses than this expensive white elephant.
"As the Greens’ parliamentary candidate for villages near this site, I know first hand the strength of opposition locally.
"Construction will take a decade and generate thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions.
"The climate crisis needs tackling now, not in a dozen years’ time when Sizewell C may just start operating.”
We've contacted EDF to gain their perspective on the matter, but they did not respond.