Friday Evening Anti-Nukes Protest on 12 October: Protesters from all over the country gather in front of PM's office

On 12 October, several thousand people gathered in Kasumigaseki area of central Tokyo for the Friday evening anti-nukes protest, demanding suspension of the operation of the Oi nuclear power plant and provision of due protection measures for children in Fukushima. Protesters from all over the country spoke of their opposition to nuclear power in front of the Prime Minister's office, the main gate of the Diet and various other places in the area. Women from Oma, a small town in Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of the main island, where construction of a new nuclear power plant had just been resumed and from Hakodate, a city in Hokkaido facing Oma Town across a channel, appealed for cancellation of the Oma nuclear power plant project. Elderly citizens from Hokkaido and Kyushu as well as from the metropolitan area expressed their anger at the government that continued to ignore people's wishes. People encouraged one another. Despair in the government and feeling of solidarity among protesters felt in the area were probably shared among those protesting elsewhere across Japan at the same time.

On 13 October, a large rally organized by Good-bye Nukes One Million People's Action was held in Hibiya Koen Park in central Tokyo. Approximately 6500 people marched through business and administrative districts near the park led by Nobel laureate in literature OE Kenzaburo and other leaders of the action group. An anti-nukes rally was held in Paris as well on the same day. In response to the call for action jointly sponsored by a group of Japanese expatriates in France, Yosomono (Foreigners) Network France, and a local anti-nukes organization, SNP, some 400 people gathered in Place de la Bastille. The program of the rally included speeches and Kansho Odori, a folklore dance of Fukushima. (based on reports by shinya and others)

 

 Photos of the 12 October protests

 
全国各地から官邸前にやってきた～10.12脱原発金曜行動

10 月12日金曜日。この日も首相官邸と国会正門前周辺では大飯原発の停止、福島の子供を救えと数千人の人たちが抗議行動に参加した。 大間と函館から来た女性が切々と大間原発建設中止を訴え、栃木、東京、九州、旭川から高齢者が駆けつけ民意無視し続ける政府に対し怒りをぶつけ、参加者と激励しあった。国会周辺 は民意を無視し続ける政治への無力感が、だがそれは自分たちの手で未来を取り戻そうとする意思と連帯感となり、静かだがはちきれれんばかりに充ち、全国に 繋がっていた。

10月13日午後にはさようなら原発100万人アクションの主催による「10.13さようなら原発集会in日比谷」とデモ行進が行われ、主催者発表で6500人の参加者が、集会後、大江健三郎さんなどを先頭にデモ行進した。 同日、パリのバスティーユ広場でも、在留邦人の脱原発団体「よそものネット・フランス」が、「脱原発パリ」SNPの共催で集会を開き、約４００人が、スピーチやかんしょ踊りを繰り広げた。（shinyaほか）
写真速報