- Title: JAPAN: Anti-Gaddafi protesters march through Tokyo
- Date: 27th February 2011
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (FEBRUARY 26, 2011) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS CALLING FOR FREE LIBYA PROTEST ORGANIZER ADEL SULIMAN SPEAKING SIGN THAT READS IN ENGLISH "FREE LIBYA" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTEST ORGANIZER ADEL SULIMAN SAYING: "Gaddafi isn't worth commenting on, he's lost his ability as a leader, and we of the younger generation have never thought of him as a leader. We just want him to leave soon" (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER ONLY IDENTIFIED AS OMAR SAYING: "Because I cannot contact with them more than 3 days now, I don't know anything about them, whether they're still alive or not. There is no internet, there is no call phone. It's just a terrible feeling about it. I am really worried about my family. My family lives in the Tripoli and now Tripoli under attack under a criminal. I don't know really, there is no news from there." (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) SETSUKO KASEDA 43-YEAR-OLD PARTICIPANT SAYING: "It pains me to think that even while I'm standing here talking that people are being killed, I feel as if I have to do something." PROTESTERS MARCHING PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS AND MARCHING MORE OF PROTESTERS MARCHING BY VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING WHILE HOLDING SIGNS
- Embargoed: 14th March 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan, Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: International Relations,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAGHGM6GOC054BIMWYHTV7Q4H7
- Story Text: Nearly a hundred anti-Gaddafi Libyan and Japanese protesters marched through downtown Tokyo on Saturday (February 26).
The revolt inspired by the toppling of veteran strongmen in neighboring Egypt and Tunisia has seen the eastern part of Libya slip from the control of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces.
The protest in Tokyo was organized through Twitter and Facebook, and event organizer Adel Suliman said that the younger generation which grew up under Gaddafi's control wanted an end to his 4 decade-rule.
"Gaddafi isn't worth commenting on, he's lost his ability as a leader, and we of the younger generation have never thought of him as a leader. We just want him to leave soon," said Suliman.
Gaddafi vowed to "crush any enemy" on Friday (February 25), addressing a crowd of supporters in Tripoli's central Green Square.
Residents said government forces had fired when protesters, who had gathered after Friday prayers around the capital, approached them.
Protesters in Tokyo expressed their concerns for families back home.
"Because I cannot contact with them more than 3 days now, I don't know anything about them, Whether they're still alive or not. There is no internet, there is no call phone. It's just a terrible feeling about it. I am really worried about my family. My family lives in the Tripoli and now Tripoli under attack under a criminal. I don't know really, there is no news from there," said one protester only identified as Omar as he feared retribution against his family.
The march also included Japanese participants said they couldn't stand by and say nothing while crackdowns on protesters continued.
"It pains me to think that even while I'm standing here talking that people are being killed, I feel as if I have to do something," said 43-year-old protester Setsuko Kaseda.
U.S. President Barak Obama signed an order prohibiting transactions related to Libya and blocking property, the first major step to isolate the North African leader, who has used army, police and irregular forces to try to crush the protests.
Diplomats at the United Nations said a vote on a draft resolution calling for an arms embargo on Libya as well as travel bans and asset freezes on its leaders might come on Saturday after U.N. chief Ban ki Moon said it could not wait. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
