Wednesday, July 30, 2014

‘Let’s not contain our anger, raise our voices!”---7.9 Protest against restart of Sendai nuclear power plant




“10 million people’s action to say goodbye to nuclear power plants” held an emergency rally in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park on July 9. It was because on the same day the Nuclear Regulatory Agency was expected to give its report on the safety screening results for the Sendai nuclear power plant. Although the turnout was smaller--at about 300--than usual due to the short notice and the rain, they marched through the streets of Shibuya to protest against resumption of the plant. OCHIAI Keiko called out to the people, “Don’t withhold your anger but refuel your anger and never give up.”  UEHARA Kimiko, former mayor of Kunitachi City in Tokyo, made a strong appeal, “Let us live! Let’s overcome political differences and rise together against the government!” (By Shinya)
Photo

 怒りをおさめてしまわず声を上げていきましょう~7.9川内再稼働反対集会

原 子力規制委員会が川内原発の審査報告を出すのではないかとされた7月9日夕方、「さようなら原発1000万人アクション」は東京・代々木公園で緊急集会を 開き、雨の渋谷の街を、川内原発再稼働反対を訴えデモ行進した。急の呼びかけと雨で参加者は300名と少なかったが、落合恵子さんは「怒りおさめてしまわ ず、あきらめずに、怒り直して」と呼びかけ、元国立市長の上原公子さんは「党派の違いを乗り越えて、生きさせろ!一揆運動を起こそう」と訴えた。 (shinya)
 写真報告


What happens if we take up others’ fights? ~a former Self-Defense Force official speaks against the right of collective defense



I used to serve in the missile troop of Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force. My duty was to shoot down the fighters coming to attack Japan. We are concerned about Senkaku islands or North Korean missiles and other issues these days, aren’t we? The Self-Defense Forces properly deal with such matters. The SDF members are sworn in to protect the lives of the people even by risking their own lives. Please feel assured of that. The right of collective self-defense, which I am against, has nothing to do with such cases, however. It is far from defending our country. It doesn’t even mean to respond to the fight as a legitimate self-defense. It means to dive into someone else’s fight that we are not even challenged. That’s what “the right of collective self-defense” means. (part of the speech by a former Self-Defense Force member, DORO Norikazu, in Kobe on June 30 )
 Picture: the message on the signboard says "We don't want to see you, SDF members, die in a war"

他人の喧嘩を買いに行ったらどうなるのか?~元自衛官「集団的自衛権」で訴え

私 は元自衛官で、防空ミサイル部隊に所属していました。日本に攻めて来る戦闘機を叩き落とすのが任務でした。いま、尖閣の問題とか、北朝鮮のミサイル問題と か、不安じゃないですか。でも、そういったものには、自衛隊がしっかりと対処します。自衛官は命をかけて国民をしっかり守ります。そこは、安心してくださ い。いま私が反対している集団的自衛権とは、そういうものではありません。日本を守る話ではないんです。売られた喧嘩に正当防衛で対抗するというものでは ないんです。売られてもいない他人の喧嘩に、こっちから飛び込んでいこうというんです。それが集団的自衛権なんです。(元自衛官・泥憲和)

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

No to path to war! – 3,000 join anti-war rally



The Abe Administration, which approved the right to collective self-defense for the first time after the end of World War II despite Article 9 of Japan’s Peace Constitution, briefed the cabinet approval at the budget committees of both of the Lower and Upper Houses on July 14 and 15, 2014. Prior to that, approximately 3,000 people protested the approval on July 13. Their strong anger was expressed in various placards, saying, “Why are you going to sacrifice youths again?!” “We never send any child to war!” and “The New Komeito is War Party in reality!” The police tried to suppress the movement, but the people’s anger to demand the repeal of the cabinet approval was even stronger so as to fill the road. The protest against the approval continued until July 15. On September 4, another large-scale action will be held against war as well as the cabinet approval in central Tokyo. (M)

 Video (Action in front of the Diet, 6 minutes) 


戦争への道を許さない!~「閉会中審査でごまかすな!7.13国会包囲」に3千人

集団的自衛権行使容認の閣議決定をした安倍政権は、71415日、衆参予算委員会で各一日ずつの「閉会中審査」を実施し、閣議決定の説明・質疑を行う。これに対して「たった一日の審査でごまかすな!」と713日昼、約3千人の市民が国会周辺に集まり、正門前ではメインの集会が開かれた。手に手に思いを込めたプラカード。「また若者を殺す気かっ!」「うちの子もよその子も戦争には出さん!」「公明党は本当は“戦争の党”」、危機感と怒りにあふれていた。運動の高揚を押さえるため「青信号でも議事堂前の横断歩道を通行させない」警察側。しかし、人々の怒りはそれを上回り、横断歩道は手をつなぎあう市民であふれ、「閣議決定撤回」のコールがつづいた。国会前行動は1415日とつづく。また94日には東京・日比谷であらゆる潮流をこえて大結集する「戦争させない・9条壊すな!総がかり行動」を行うことが発表された。(M
動画

No US base at Atagoyama! – 500 join protest action in Iwakuni



On July 12, 2014, approximately 500 people joined a rally against the new United States Military base in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The construction of houses and gyms for US Military personnel started at the Atagoyama area in the city according to the transfer of 59 aircraft carrier-based planes to the Iwakuni Base. Citizens in the city have protested the move with regular rallies and demonstrations. This urgent meeting was called to protest the 15 KC130 refueling planes, which were to be transferred from the Marine Corps Air Station Futemma in Okinawa on July 15. The protest is the people’s determination against the Iwakuni Base to become the biggest military base in Northeast Asia. The following appeal was adopted: “Do our best for a safe future of Iwakuni and a peaceful Japan, and against any additional military base anywhere”. After the rally, the participants marched in Atagoyama, expressing their anger. (Yamaguchi, Asian-Wide Campaign Kyushu)


愛宕山に新たな米軍基地はいらない!~岩国市民集会に500

7月12日、山口県岩国市で「愛宕山に新たな米軍基地はいらない7・12市民大集会」が開催され、約500人が参加しました。米空母艦載機59機の岩国基地への移駐に伴い、愛宕山には米軍住宅や米軍の運動施設の建設工事が開始しました。それに対し岩国市民は、工事中止を求め愛宕山で定期的に集会とデモに取り組んでいます。15日にKC130空中給油機15機が普天間より移駐される問題もあり、岩国基地が極東最大の基地に転換することを許さないとの意思を改めて示そうと、緊急集会が呼びかけられたのです。集会アピールでも「安全で安心な岩国の未来のため、ひいては平和な日本を実現するため、どこにも新たな米軍基地を作らせないために全力を尽くそう」と採択。最後に「怒」のパフォーマンスをし(写真)、愛宕山をデモ行進しました。(アジア共同行動 九州・山口)