A police spokesman said some 250 activists had tried to damage the track near the waste dump to halt a train carrying the nuclear material. When police tried to stop them, the activists responded using flare guns and a chemical spray that caused eyes to tear up.
“The situation is not yet under control,” another police spokesman said.
Riot police used truncheons, teargas and water cannon to stop the violent activists, who were part of a larger group of about 4,000 protesters near the town of Leitstade trying to halt the train.
A small fire was started under an armored police vehicle and it was seen smoldering in images broadcast on German television. Police said activists had poured tar on it and thrown small petrol bombs at the vehicle.
Police repeatedly tried to stop activists from removing gravel under the rail tracks. Some police were pushed and shoved from behind as they tried to carry activists away.
The helmet-clad police also were seen in broadcast images punching activists and hitting them with truncheons.
“Those who resort to violence against police officials have to expect us to respond accordingly,” a police spokeswoman told N-TV television, saying there had been “massive acts of violence against police” on Sunday.
About a dozen protesters were injured, demonstrators were quoted as saying in local media reports. Police could not confirm any injuries.
The waste shipment has become a tense political issue due to anger over Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to extend the lifespan of Germany’s 17 nuclear power plants despite overwhelming public opposition.
The waste originated in Germany and was reprocessed at the French nuclear group Areva’s processing plant at La Hague for storage in a site in the northern German town of Gorleben.
The train was held up repeatedly on its way across France and Germany on a journey that began on Friday. In Germany thousands staged sit-down strikes on tracks and others lowered themselves on ropes from bridges to prevent the train from passing. They were removed by police.
Merkel’s government has slumped in popularity due largely to its decision to extend nuclear power by about 12 years beyond the original shutdown set for 2021. Germany gets 23 percent of its power from nuclear plants.
Scenes of violence during previous shipments have contributed to Germany’s strong anti-nuclear mood. Protesters fear the depot at Gorleben, built as an interim storage site, could become permanent. Greenpeace says the site, in a disused salt mine, would be unsafe over the long term.
