Kobe: Campaign against “Osaka Bylaw for Coercing Kimigayo”

On August 9, 2011, several dozens of participants in a gathering of school teachers from all around Japan in Kobe campaigned against the bill for coercing Kimigayo, Japan’s controversial national anthem, in Osaka. They sang a song to call the Osaka Governor Hashimoto a “fascist” and appealed, “Down with authoritarianism of Governor Hashimoto and his party, the Osaka Restoration Association” and “Stop political intervention into education” (photo). 42 signed against the bill only in less than an hour, many of whom were junior high school and high school students who do not have a right to vote now but will be affected by the bill if it is passed. Some of them were youths in their 20s. Some of the participants in the campaign said, “I thought our appeal would be ignored, but people understood and signed after I explained the details carefully” and “Young people were very interested in this issue. I would like to continue this campaign”. (Johnny H)

神戸で「君が代強制 大阪府条例はいらん!」の署名活動
　8月9日、神戸の全国教育労働者交流集会に参加していたメンバー十数名が「君が代強制大阪府条例はいらん!」の署名活動をした。♪橋の下にファシスト 徹よ♪ の歌とともに、道行く人たちに「橋下徹府知事と維新の会の強圧政治を跳ね返そう」「教育現場への政治の不当介入を阻止しよう」と説いて回った（写真）。1時間たらずの行動だったが、42人分の「君が代」強制大阪府条例不成立要望の署名が集まった。しかも、その多くが、今は選挙権はないが、条例によって一番被害を受ける年代である中学生・高校生や20代の若者だった。今回はじめて署名活動をした参加者は「無視すると思っていたが、丁寧に話すと理解して署名してくれた」「若い人はよく聞いてくれた。これからもどんどん署名活動をしていきたい」と語った。（ジョニーH）