Tokyo (dpa) – An estimated 10,000 people marched through central Tokyo on Sunday, calling for an end to Japanese nuclear power generation on the anniversary of last year's magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami. Many demonstrators, among them men and women of all ages, held placards reading “no nukes” and “all the nuclear plants in Japan should be abolished.” Only two of the nation's 54 nuclear reactors are currently in service amid growing public concerns about atomic power following the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The plant, run by Tokyo Electric Power Co, went into meltdown after it was struck by a tsunami triggered by a magnitude-9 earthquake on March 11, 2011. “We should protect our children, not nuclear power plants,” exclaimed some women as they passed the company's headquarters. Protesters later formed a human chain and surrounded the parliament building. The Japanese protest was smaller than similar demonstrations held in Germany. “But today we are seeing a relatively large number of participants by Japanese standards,” an activist said. Thousands of people also gathered from across Japan to hold a rally in Koriyama, 55 kilometers west of the Fukushima plant, organizers said. “We appreciate a lot of support from those around the country. We will turn it to a new energy for our battle against the government,” said Chieko Shiina, leader of the Fukushima Network for Saving Children from Radiation. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/y5WGQ Tags: Fukushima, Nuclear, Protest, Tokyo Section: East Asia, Going Green