Thousands of Germans protest against the import of nuclear waste from France

More than 10,000 protestors have been taking part in a major rally in Germany as anger mounts over the country's expanding use of nuclear power, police have said.

Thousands of activists also held up a rail convoy of 154 tons of nuclear waste after blocking train tracks on Saturday.

The transport of the material - which was reprocessed at a plant in France before being returned to Germany for storage - has become a tense political issue.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to extend the lifespan of the country's 17 nuclear power plants by 12 years has been met with overwhelming public opposition, Sky News reports.

Christophe Neugnot, a spokesman for French nuclear engineering company Areva, said safety measures for the shipment involved sealing the solid nuclear waste in glass that is in turn encased in 16-inch (40-centimeter) -thick steel containers. He called the train cars "rolling fortresses" - each benefiting from 100 tons of protective material.

Many countries in Europe and elsewhere have been looking to nuclear power as a way to reduce their dependency on energy from foreign nations - notably oil, gas and coal, the use of which is believed to contribute to global warming, according to The Associated Press.