Abe’s resignation in sight – Protest continues even with the Conspiracy Act coming into effect

 

On July 11, 2017 when the controversial and undemocratic Conspiracy Act became effective, approximately 800 people gathered in front of the Diet Members’ Building in Tokyo despite the summer heat. Everyone looked positive. Many said, “Prime Minister Abe’s resignation is clearly in sight. It is us who have made it possible. Expand our campaign to further lower his approval rate to less than 20%”. KAIDO Yuichi, a lawyer and one of the campaigners, proposed to collect and present signatures to express the people’s will against the Conspiracy Act. Kaido added, “From now, the Japanese Government is supposed to use the law for wiretapping. This is really terrible. We should keep watching the government”. Opposition members of the parliament delivered speeches one after another, including MORI Yuko, the Liberal Party, who claimed that NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation – public TV station) had finished its broadcast of parliamentary proceedings when Mori was going to raise questions; FUKUYAMA Tetsuro, the Democratic Party; FUKUSHIMA Mizuho, the Social Democratic Party; and KOIKE Akira, the Japanese Communist Party. They passionately insisted that the unconstitutional Conspiracy Act be abolished and Prime Minister Abe resign. On this day, there were protests against the Act in 21 places in 12 prefectures. (M) 

Youtube (4 minutes)

「安倍退陣がみえてきた」～共謀罪施行日の7月11日、国会前で声上げる

共謀罪施行日の7月11日、昼の議員会館前集会には暑い日射しをものともせず、約800

人の市民が集まった。みんな表情は明るく元気だ。「安倍退陣がはっきりみえてき

た。こういう状況をつくってきたのは私たちだ。もっと運動を広げて支持率を20％以

下にしよう」。スピーカーの多くが安倍退陣へ手応えを語った。主催者挨拶で海渡雄

一弁護士は、共謀罪反対の意思を政府に示すために廃止署名をやることを提案した。

また「今後政府は共謀罪を盗聴捜査の対象にすることを狙ってくるはず。それは本当

の恐ろしいことだ。手を緩めず監視しよう」と訴えた。野党議員が次々にマイクを

握った。「私の質問のところでNHKは国会中継をやめてしまった」と悔しそうに語る

森ゆうこ議員をはじめ、福山哲郎（民進）、福島瑞穂（社民）、小池晃（共産）の各

氏は「憲法違反の共謀罪廃止」「安倍退陣実現」に向けて熱く語った。なおこの日、

全国12都道府県21か所で抗議行動を行われた。（M）  

動画（4分）