Sunday, February 19, 2012

People's Power!: 750 citizens save No Nukes Tents from eviction


Outraged citizens gathered around the tents of no nukes activists in front of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in the evening of January 27. As the 5 p.m. deadline the economy minister Yukio Edano set in his order for clearing the tents approached, the crowd grew rapidly and the area was soon packed with protesters and those from media and police. The number of protesters increased continuously and eventually reached 750. Another ten thousand viewed the scene through webcast.
Thanks partly to the media exposure, the eviction crisis was turned into an opportunity for no nukes activists to make the tents better known to the general public.
During the two-hour rally on the spot, people from Fukushima including women and a farm owner strongly denounced Tepco: "People in Fukushima are still exposed to high levels of radioactivity. Living there is just like a hell. But the executives of Tepco are leading the life in the same way as before the disaster. They have absolutely no sense of responsibility for us. We will never ever forgive them!" The outcry left the audience with deep sympathy, refreshed anger and tears. None of concerned officials of METI appeared on the scene till the end of the whole event. Thus the power of will of 750 citizens determined to stop all nuclear plants backed off the government's attempt to remove the tents. (By M)
Photo News; Video (Recording of Webcast Report); Video (Appeal by Mr. Masami Yoshizawa, a farm owner from Fukushima); Photos of the rally; Message of Corinne Lepage, former Environment Minister of France; Protesters chanting "No nuclear plants!" slogans


750人の市民のチカラ!~「脱原発テント」撤去命令をはねかえす

午後5時に迫った経産省枝野大臣のテント撤去命令期限に対して、1月27日夕方、怒りの市民たちが続々と脱原発テント前に結集した。メディア・警察官なども含め、周辺はあっというまに身動きできない状態。その後も人数は増え続け最終的に750人になった。ニコニコ動画の生中継視聴者も1万人、マスコミの取材も多く、「撤去命令」は逆にテントの存在を大きく知らせることになった。2時間の集会では、女たち・牧場主など福島からの生の訴えが続いた。「福島は放射能地獄のまま。のうのうと暮らし責任をとらない東電幹部を絶対に許さない!」。悲鳴に近い発言に共感と怒りの涙が拡がった。結局、この日経産省担当者は一切テントに姿を現さなかった。こうして750人の脱原発の気迫が、テント撤去命令をはね返した。(M) 写真速報・ツイキャス(ライブ録画)動画(牧場主・吉沢さんの訴え) ・ルパージュ元仏環境相の緊急メッセージ *写真=「原発はいらない」シュプレヒコールを上げる

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