Police workers from the German police union in North Rhine‑Westphalia (GdP NRW) are making it clear that the Castor transport from Jülich to Ahaus is imminent. “The start date for the first shipment is not weeks away in the future – that’s obvious to everyone involved” said Patrick Schlüter, the union’s state chair, in an interview with the “Rheinische Post” (Thursday edition).
At the Münster police headquarters a jointly developed radiation‑protection and occupational‑safety concept has been prepared. The regulations set there go far beyond the statutory requirements. “That is why we are satisfied with the GdP NRW – even though we still consider the deployment unnecessary” Schlüter added.
North Rhine‑Westphalia’s interior minister, Herbert Reul (CDU), shares the same view. “If it were up to me, I would be happy to avoid the upcoming Castor transports. But police work is not a wish‑list. We do not get to choose our assignments” he said to the “Rheinische Post”.
Protecting the Castor shipments is a major challenge, yet the police say they have the experience and the capacity to carry out such operations efficiently and safely, even in the face of demonstrations that also need protection. “The police will do their job and carry out this operation professionally. Their task is to ensure that the transport runs safely – no more, no less” Reul said.
Schlüter characterised the potential for large‑scale opposition as a “black box”. He warned that a successful attempt by Castor opponents to halt the transport would be a “super‑crime”. The union noted the radical nature of those involved in Lützerath and stressed that the police are watching closely and monitoring the situation carefully.
With that in mind, Schlüter called for a strong response, estimating that 3,500 to 4,500 police officers would be deployed. For comparison, a football derby between Dortmund and Schalke or a match between Mönchengladbach and Cologne typically calls for 2,500 to 3,000 officers.