JAPAN-PROTEST Protesters march against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policies

Record ID: 151050

  • Title: JAPAN-PROTEST Protesters march against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policies
  • Date: 13th June 2015
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JUNE 13, 2015) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS LISTENING TO OPENING SPEECH PROTEST SIGN ANTI-WAR T-SHIRT (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 73 YEAR OLD AKIRA MATSUDAIRA, SAYING: "I think the majority of the citizens are raising voices of anger towards Abe's move to destroy the constitution. I think it's an important issue in how we can band those voices together." PROTEST POSTER (S
  • Embargoed: 28th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2KH5KZUTT4HQBSBPDKOK1ZMLN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: More than 10,000 protesters marched in Tokyo's bay area on Saturday (June 13) to voice their criticisms against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policies, including Japan's potential participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the push for a more muscular defense policy.
    Despite the summer heat, participants remained attentive during opening speeches and musical performances by the organizers and political supporters of the rally, including Kazuo Shii, the chairman of the Japanese Communist Party.
    After playing the trumpet for the large crowd of protesters, 73-year-old Akira Matsudaira said that most people are fed up with Abe's policies.
    "I think the majority of the citizens are raising voices of anger towards Abe's move to destroy the constitution. I think it's an important issue in how we can band those voices together," he said.
    Another protester described Abe's push for a defense policy as a 'war policy,' and called for his resignation.
    "I can't forgive his (Abe's) approach in pushing his 'war policy,' and I want him to resign. If he wants to change the constitution, he should use the proper steps," he said.
    Other issues that the protesters raised included nuclear power, the relocation of U.S. Marines' base to Henoko, health care and labour laws.
    In particular, however, the anti-war rhetoric among the protesters were significant. Most held signs calling for a 'Stop' to Abe's governance.
    Japanese have long lived with the paradox of a post-war, U.S.-drafted constitution whose pacifist Article 9 bans any armed forces, existing alongside a military that has grown bigger than that of Britain.
    Successive governments have said the constitution allows "Self-Defense Forces" devoted exclusively to defending Japan, even as they loosened constraints on military activities.
    Now Abe wants to expand the scope for military operations abroad, reinterpreting the constitution to allow defense of friendly countries under attack, or "collective self-defense". Bills to implement the change are being debated in parliament.
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