Live: Kudankulam protestors in boats, plan to lay siege to plant

12.25pm: Protestors get into boats, plan to lay siege to plant Protestors have started getting into boats and are heading towards the Kudankulam power plant, where they say they will lay siege to the power plant. Visuals just coming in showed protestors shouting slogans and getting into boats. This is clearly set to become yet another massive security headache for the state authorities. 11.29 am: Our demands are unchanged, says Udayakumar PMANE convenor Udayakumar has said that the demands of the anti-Kudankulam protestors have not changed in the slightest. “We have been appealing to the state and central governments that this power plant is not in the best interest of safeguarding the livelihood interests of the people in the area”, he said. Udayakumar added that the entire world was shunning nuclear power, and it was impreative that the government did not drag India in the opposite direction. “We are all for power and development but not this costly and dangerous excercise”, he said. Speaking to the media even as the villagers of Idinthakurai prepare to launch a jal satyagraha 500m away from the site of the Kudankulam plant, PMANE convenor Udayakumar said that they were demanding that the heavy police presence at the village be withdrawn, and that charges against them be dropped. [caption id=“attachment_482694” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The protestors will stay 500m away from the plant[/caption] 10.00 pm: Kudankulam protestors gear up for further protests Kudankulam protestors are all set to lay siege to the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, 500m away from the site. Fishers, farmers, traders and volunteers of various political parties from Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts would participate in the protest, a PMANE source said today. A Heavy police force has been deployed at various places to prevent any untoward situation, police said. The anti-nuclear protesters onboard around 500 boats had on 22 September laid siege to the Tuticorin port against loading of uranium in the atomic power plant. The protesters along with fisherfolk also staged a ‘Jal Satyagraha’ in the sea at Koothakuzhi, 10 km from Kudankulam, by forming a human chain. The first unit was scheduled to be commissioned in December last year but had been delayed due to protests by locals on safety concerns. With inputs from agencies