Anti-nuclear protests in Japan

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STORY: Thousands took part in multiple rallies in various locations in Tokyo Sunday to condemn the restart of nuclear reactors, including the Ohi power plant.

Police officers jostled with anti-nuclear protesters in front of the parliament as they tried to cordon-off and contain the demonstration.

Despite a relentless downpour, protesters gathered outside ministries concerned with nuclear power.

At least 50 reactors were closed down as a result of the world's worst nuclear disaster in a quarter of a century. Reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima facility after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami spewed radiation over vast areas and forced over 160,000 people to flee.

The restart of reactors at the Ohi station in western Japan, to fend off possible summer power shortages, has galvanized anti-nuclear protesters, leading to a number of mass demonstrations in Tokyo and other cities.

Prime Minister Yoshihoko Noda is devising a new energy policy that seeks to end reliance on nuclear power by the 2030s.