Protesters Clash With Police Over France’s Nuclear Waste Storage Project in Bure

Police fired tear gas on Saturday as hundreds of demonstrators rallied against France’s planned underground nuclear waste facility in the northeastern village of Bure.

The protest targeted the controversial CIGEO project, which aims to bury the country’s most radioactive waste deep underground for hundreds of thousands of years.

The National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management (ANDRA) is spearheading the project.

Organisers said 2,000 people joined the march, chanting “Get out, ANDRA!” and waving a banner that read “Protest for the Future.” Authorities, however, put the turnout closer to 700.

Tensions escalated when about 200 protesters broke off into an unauthorised march, masked and throwing projectiles at officers.

Police responded with tear gas, while helicopters circled overhead. The national gendarmerie later reported finding “weapons and dangerous materials” during searches.

Opposition to CIGEO has simmered for decades since the project’s launch in 1991. Officials plan to begin construction in late 2027 or early 2028, despite recurring demonstrations.

France operates 18 nuclear plants that generate roughly three-fifths of its electricity. While the government frames nuclear power as key to reducing reliance on fossil fuels, the unresolved question of how to safely manage radioactive waste continues to spark fierce resistance in Bure and beyond.