JAPAN: More than a thousand people protest outside parliament against Tokyo's foreign policy

Record ID: 465491

  • Title: JAPAN: More than a thousand people protest outside parliament against Tokyo's foreign policy
  • Date: 2nd December 2010
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (DECEMBER 1, 2010) (REUTERS) JAPANESE FLAG OF PROTESTERS IN FRONT OF THE PARLIAMENT PROTESTERS SHOUTING SLOGANS IN FRONT OF THE PARLIAMENT PEOPLE GATHERED WITH JAPANESE FLAGS CROWDS GATHERED CARRYING JAPANESE FLAGS CROWDS PACKING SIDE WALKS PROTESTERS LISTENING TO SPEECHES POLICE LOOKING AT PROTESTERS WOMEN LISTENING TO SPEECHES PROTESTERS WITH SIGN READING "THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF JAPAN IS KOREAN'S POLITICAL PARTY" (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 42 YEAR-OLD PROTESTER, HARUMI MATSUO, SAYING: "The Japanese government seems to have absolutely no idea how to defend themselves. There are a lot of things that can be done such as revising the law so that the Japanese Self-Defense Force can be deployed overseas, but the government currently has no intention of doing anything." PROTESTERS SHOUTING WITH RAISED FISTS PROTESTERS SHOUTING AND RAISING THEIR ARMS AND FLAGS PROTESTER SHOUTING AND RAISING FLAGS CARTOON CRITICIZING PRIME MINISTER NAOTO KAN PROTESTERS LISTENING TO SPEECHES HOLDING FLAGS AND BANNER SIGN READING IN ENGLISH "RESIGNATION! PUPPET OF CHINA" (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 'GAMBARE NIPPON!' NATIONAL ACTION COMMITTEE SECRETARY DIRECTOR, NORIHIKO UEDA, SAYING: "The Prime Minister is so lacking in leadership that we are now in an unprecedented crisis brought about by a disregard of our national interest and which may lead to the collapse of our nation." POLICE OFFICERS RUNNING TOWARD PROTESTERS POLICE LOOKING AT PROTESTERS MARCHING SIGN OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF JAPAN OVER THE HEADQUARTERS PROTESTERS CARRYING FLAGS WALKING
  • Embargoed: 17th December 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA74FB9HCGYF3459NAIEI569T0I
  • Story Text: More than a thousand people of the nationalist movement "Ganbare Nippon!" gathered on Wednesday (December 1) in front of Japan's parliament to call for Prime Minister Naoto Kan's resignation.
    Citing failures in Kan's recent foreign policies, the crowd, nearly all raising the Japanese flag, packed the sidewalks in front of the Diet building, where Japanese parliament convenes.
    They were especially angry at what they saw as the prime minister's slow response to the North Korean missile shelling on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong and the muddle with the diplomatic spat with China over the disputed Senkaku or Diaoyutai islands.
    "The Japanese government seems to have absolutely no idea how to defend themselves. There are a lot of things that can be done such as revising the law so that the Japanese Self-Defense Force can be deployed overseas, but the government currently has no intention of doing anything," said 42 year-old protester Harumi Matsuo.
    It was the fourth such rally since September when Japan detained the Chinese captain of a boat that collided with ships near disputed islands in the East China Sea, the site of vast potential gas and oil reserves.
    Prime Minister Naoto Kan has faced heavy criticism domestically for freeing the captain and tensions remain high, in what is seen here as having given in to Chinese pressure.
    "The Prime Minister is so lacking in leadership that we are now in an unprecedented crisis brought about by a disregard of our national interest and which may lead to the collapse of our nation," said the organiser, Norihiko Ueda.
    Such demonstrations have been attracting a broader spectrum of Japanese worried about the moribund economy and China's growing influence, in contrast to traditional nationalist gatherings of men dressed in military fatigues.
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