Activists protest over nuclear shipment in Germany

Protesters trying to obstruct a nuclear waste shipment have chained themselves to a rail bridge over a river in Germany.

Police in rubber boats tried to persuade the Greenpeace activists to come off the bridge, about 15 miles from the Gorleben nuclear waste dump in northern Germany.

The 60-ton waste shipment was heading to the dump in the first such journey for four years.

"Our aim is clear: We want to obstruct this transport as long as possible," Greenpeace spokesman Veit Buerger said.

The shipment is due to arrive at a rail terminal from where trucks will bring the six containers - each with about 10 tons of radioactive waste sealed in 28 glass casks - to Gorleben.

The train crossed into south-western Germany from France late on Monday, delayed by about an hour by small groups of demonstrators who were cleared from the tracks by police.

Protesters booed, blew whistles and placed candles on the tracks to demonstrate their opposition to the transports.

Police said they detained more than 90 people but no one was injured.

After the delay and a change of locomotive on the border, the train continued its 375-mile trip to the Gorleben dump, the focus of Germany's anti-nuclear movement.

Police reported no incidents along the route overnight and Tuesday morning.