JAPAN-SECURITY/BILL-PROTEST Tens of thousands on the streets protest Japan security bills

Record ID: 141131

  • Title: JAPAN-SECURITY/BILL-PROTEST Tens of thousands on the streets protest Japan security bills
  • Date: 15th September 2015
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (SEPTEMBER 14, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** JAPANESE PARLIAMENT PROTESTERS IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT PROTESTERS WITH SMARTPHONES AND GLOWSTICKS PROTESTERS PROTESTER WITH BANNER READING (English): "NO ABE!" VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SCUFFLING WITH POLICE OFFICERS POLICE SIRENS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 69-YEAR-OLD YASUKO YANAGIHARA SAYING: "Abe's government is currently not listening to the voices of the people, and many things are being pulled back to the past in a bad way, so I can't keep quiet. I came here because I don't want my kids or grandkids to be in a situation like that of during war or prewar," PROTESTERS WITH GLOWSTICKS PROTESTERS WALKING ONTO MAIN ROAD IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS ON THE MAIN ROAD IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT PROTESTER HOLDING UNICORN SIGN READING (Japanese): "NO WAR" (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 24-YEAR-OLD GRADUATE SCHOOL STUDENT, HARUNA SHIINA, SAYING: "First and foremost, I'm against the idea of crushing power with power. I'm upset mainly about the fact that there is no debate about that idea in parliament." PROTESTERS IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT
  • Embargoed: 30th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA6FBMCTGF47FJ7B65DOXH6SU4H
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the main street in front of parliament in Tokyo on Monday (September 14) night, chanting slogans against the security legislation and calling for the resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
    The rally began on two sidewalks in front of parliament behind police barricades. But the number of protesters soon swelled and spilled out onto the main street. Some scuffles broke out in various locations before the barricades were taken down to accomodate the protesters.
    Sogakari Movement, one of the organizers of the protest, said about 45,000 protesters gathered in front of parliament.
    Despite such big protests held on a weekly basis, Abe's ruling bloc wants to pass the security bills -- which would allow Japanese troops to fight abroad for the first time since World War Two -- before parliament ends its session on Sept. 27. A vote in the upper house is expected this week.
    "Abe's government is currently not listening to the voices of the people, and many things are being pulled back to the past in a bad way, so I can't keep quiet, So I came here because I don't want my kids or grandkids to be in a situation like that of during war or before war," 69-year-old Yasuko Yanagihara said.
    More than half of voters in Japan are opposed to their government's plans to enact the bills, a newspaper poll showed on Monday.
    A poll carried out over the weekend and published on Monday by Asahi Shimbun showed 54 percent of respondents opposed the legislation against 29 percent who backed it, and 68 percent saw no need to enact the bills during the current session.
    Three-quarters of the respondents said the debate has been insufficient, in line with other surveys.
    "First and foremost, I'm against the idea of crushing power with power. I'm upset mainly about the fact that there is no debate about that idea in parliament," 24-year-old graduate school student Haruna Shiina said.
    Abe's ruling bloc has a majority in the upper house, but opposition parties have vowed to use all possible means to prevent a vote, including delaying procedures by submitting time-consuming non-confidence and censure motions.
    Support for Abe's government fell to 36 percent, the survey showed, the lowest rate since he took the office in December 2012 and down from 38 percent in last month's poll. Abe's disapproval rating inched up to 42 percent from 41 percent.
    Abe last week won a rare second consecutive term as a ruling party chief, and hence premier, pledging to retain focus on reviving the world's third-largest economy and deepen debate on revising its pacifist constitution.
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