Nuclear power became an issue of major public protest in the 1970s and demonstrations in France and West Germany began in 1971 . In France , between 1975 and 1977 , some 175,000 people protested against nuclear power in ten demonstrations . In West Germany , between February 1975 and April 1979 , some 280,000 people were involved in seven demonstrations at nuclear sites . Many mass demonstrations took place in the aftermath of the 1979 Three Mile Island accident and a New York City protest in September 1979 involved two hundred thousand people . Some 120,000 people demonstrated against nuclear power in Bonn , in October 1979 . In May 1986 , following the Chernobyl disaster , an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people marched in Rome to protest against the Italian nuclear program , and clashes between anti-nuclear protesters and police became common in West Germany
Three Mile Island accident
Three Mile Island accident
Anti-nuclear protests