JAPAN: Hundreds of protesters march outside of the IMF's semi-annual meeting venue in Tokyo, condemning the organization's policies as destructive to the global economy

Record ID: 466637

  • Title: JAPAN: Hundreds of protesters march outside of the IMF's semi-annual meeting venue in Tokyo, condemning the organization's policies as destructive to the global economy
  • Date: 14th October 2012
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 13, 2012) (REUTERS) EFFIGY PROTESTERS MARCHING PROTESTER SHOUTING "NO MORE IMF" BANNER READING: "ANTI IMF" PROTESTERS IMPERSONATING THE SUPER RICH WAVING FAKE NOTE BILLS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING ON DRUM BEATS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 50-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER AND VEGETABLE FARMER FROM YAMAGATA PREFECTURE JUNKO OKUYAMA SAYING: "Our daily lives are only deteriorating under the IMF's rule over the world economy. This sort of meeting should never be held again." LONG QUEUE OF PROTESTERS POLICEMEN GUIDING PROTESTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 63-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER AND RETIREE FROM OSAKA FUMI AKIYAMA SAYING: "The Japanese government should spend money for the people in northern Japan and Fukushima who are suffering from the earthquake and the nuclear accident rather than giving it away to IMF." PROTESTERS PLAYING PERCUSSIONS PROTESTER IN BALACLAVA MASK BEATING DRUM PROTESTERS BEATING FRY PAN AND POT LID WITH STICKS POLICEMEN MOVING PROTESTER BEATING IRON BUCKET WITH STICK PROTESTER BEATING FRITTER TENDER WITH SPOON VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING IN FRONT OF TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FORUM WHERE IMF'S SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING IS BEING HELD MAN CLAD IN BALACLAVA MASK BLOWING VUVUZELA HORN PROTESTER SHOUTING "WE ARE THE 99 PERCENT" AND SUPER RICH IMPERSONATORS WAVING FAKE NOTE BILLS BADGE ON IMPERSONATORS READING: "I AM THE 1 PERCENT" VARIOUS OF PROTESTER SHOUTING ON BULLHORN PEDESTRIANS WATCHING RALLY
  • Embargoed: 29th October 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: International Relations,Economy
  • Reuters ID: LVA82JW4QMFI4IWKFHCGNNGV53VG
  • Story Text: Hundreds marched through the streets of Tokyo on Saturday (October 13), protesting against the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank meetings underway in Japan.
    About 300 hundred activists, some waving wads of fake note bills and dressed in grotesque costumes meant to mimic the super rich, walked down a luxury shopping street in downtown Tokyo, a stone's throw from the summit venue.
    "Our daily lives are only deteriorating under the IMF's rule over the world economy. This sort of meeting should never be held again," said 50-year-old Junko Okuyama, a vegetable farmer from northern Japan.
    Police have ramped up their presence on the streets around the conference venue this week, as officials from around the world descended on Tokyo.
    Up to 5,000 officers are being deployed every day in the surrounding area by the city's police force during the summit, local media said.
    A large conference venue in central Tokyo has also been hired for the summit, using money contributed by the Japanese government and both international institutions, which the protesters decry.
    "The Japanese government should spend money for the people in northern Japan and Fukushima who're suffering from the earthquake and the nuclear accident rather than giving it away to IMF," 63-year-old Fumi Akiyawa said.
    This week's semi-annual IMF and World Bank meetings kicked off on Thursday (October 11) and run until Sunday (October 14).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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