- Title: JAPAN: PEACE PROTESTORS RALLY AND MARCH THROUGH THE STREETS OF TOKYO
- Date: 19th February 2003
- Summary: (U4) TOKYO, JAPAN (FEBRUARY 19, 2003)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SMV RALLY AND PEACE PARADE ORGANISERS HANDING OUT POSTERS 0.06 2. WIDE OF PEOPLE LISTENING TO SPEECHES 0.10 3. SMV PEOPLE HOLDING POSTERS "STOP THE WAR" AND "NO WAR ON IRAQ" 0.16 4. VARIOUS, OF ACTIVISTS DANCING ON STAGE WITH GEORGE W. BUSH MASKS 0.31 5. SLV / DE
- Embargoed: 6th March 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NATURAL WITH ENGLISH AND JAPANESE SPEECH
- Country: Japan
- Reuters ID: LVABK4GJDNRE0GMRYEAX3WZDOW0S
- Story Text: Thousands of Japanese have participated in a rally and
peace parade, protesting against a possible U.S.-led military
attack on Iraq.
Thousands of people filled an outdoor auditorium in
Tokyo on Wednesday (February 19) to participate in a really,
protesting against a possible military attack against Iraq.
"Maybe Saddam Hussein may be wrong, but it is not due to
the ordinary people, the citizens of Iraq, so war is wrong,"
said 25-year-old Tomoyo Okamoto on the reason why she had
decided to march in the cold winter street.
In a recent poll, nearly 80 percent of Japanese voters who
replied said they were against a U.S.-led military attack on
Iraq and almost half said Tokyo should not support such
action.
Japan's desire to maintain the alliance with the United
States, which has been the post war pillar of Japan's security
policy, combined with a desire for access to Iraqi oil in a
post-Saddam Hussein world, mean Japanese Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi will probably give at least moral support to
the United States.
"Japan, as an independent country, it should tell the
United Nations and the United States what its stance is
regarding the war," said Shingo Fukuyama, one of the
organisers of the rally.
After listening to speeches and watching dance and song
performances, the participants, many of whom had come straight
from their offices, picked up banners and posters to march
through the streets of Tokyo.
"We are also against Japan backing the United States and
we would like the Japanese government to know that there are a
lot of Japanese people against the war," added Iman Morooka, a
27-year-old student.
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