Hundreds rally outside Parliament against militarism, constitutional reform, and expanded defense spending.
On Tuesday, hundreds of Japanese people took part in a new protest against war and militarism outside Parliament, highlighting the presence of an anti-war movement that has been growing for some time in response to government plans to increase defense spending and reform the country’s pacifist Constitution.
Amid a large security deployment, demonstrators gradually filled the long sidewalks lining the gardens in front of the Parliament building in central Tokyo throughout the afternoon.
Some carried signs opposing the war in Iran or U.S. bases in Japan, while others directly called for the resignation of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
“There is an increasing danger that Article 9 of the Constitution will be explicitly changed,” said Hidemitsu Sato, a 70-year-old insurance worker, referring to the pacifist clause of Japan’s Constitution, which explicitly renounces war and maintaining an army.
The conservative leader has expressed support for reforming the Constitution to explicitly recognize the role of the Self-Defense Forces in protecting the archipelago.
Those plans appear closer following her overwhelming victory in February’s snap general election, in which the coalition she leads secured a supermajority of more than two-thirds in the Lower House, the more important of the two chambers that make up Parliament.
A constitutional reform, however, also requires majority support in the Upper House, where the governing coalition is in the minority, and the leader has not yet presented concrete plans to carry it out.
Japanese anti-war organizations have long organized demonstrations outside Parliament on the 19th of every month to protest constitutional reform plans, and in recent months the gatherings have been attracting increasing numbers of people.
In April, about 36,000 citizens joined the demonstration, just 11 days after a similar protest that drew around 30,000 people.
Many of those attending the protest were older adults, although young people carrying signs supporting various pacifist causes were also present.
“The media are not reporting anything, but it’s going viral on YouTube and TikTok. I came with the idea that if enough people come together, our voices will reach the government,” said Hiroko Nakamura, a 67-year-old woman, who expressed confidence that more and more people are joining the anti-war movement.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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