Nuclear power? No thanks.

People in Berlin have been watching events closely in Japan over the last few days. From what I can gather many locals have a soft spot for the Japanese people. At first there was compassion for the victims of the earthquake and the resulting tsunami. Now, things have taken a turn. The impending nuclear catastrophe at the Fukushima reactor reminds people here all too well of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Concerned onlookers have turned to angry protesters.

There were a series of demonstrations here almost immediately after the first headlines reached Germany about problems at Japan's nuclear power facilities. Many people are still angry about the German government's late 2010 decision to extend the usage of Germany's nuclear power plants. The government (and Angela Merkel) has now bowed to the pressure, putting that decision on ice for three months. The local protests are in addition to nationwide demos across Germany, demanding a stop to the use of nuclear power.

And, of course, everyone has been expressing their dissatisfaction by flying the now famous little green, yellow and red flag which says "Nuclear power? No thankyou". This flag seems to get brought out whenever this issue flares up again. This morning I saw a man stick the emblem across the BMW badge on the front of his car.