Let’s repeal the war laws! ～Not pessimistic but angry voices shook the Diet building

The resistance by more than 40,000 protesters outside of the Diet building helped delay the resolution of the war bills in the upper house plenary session on Sep.18. Even after the last train was gone past midnight, more than 1,000 people continued protesting at the Diet building, shouting “Hang in there, opposition lawmakers!” 

At 2:18 a.m., it was reported that the upper house passed the legislation. OKUDA Aki, a leader of Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy-s (SEALDs) shouted “Repeal the war laws!” as soon as he saw the voting streamed on the smartphone. 

Very angry voices against the bills shook the building in the dead of night. Okuda continued to say, “We have no feelings of pessimism! There is only anger and indignation here.” The people then started to chant, “Let’s beat the lawmakers who approved the bills in the next election!” Their new struggle has already started.

Opposition lawmakers came out of the Diet to report the results one after another. YAMAMOTO Taro, a lawmaker who snail-walked by himself to delay the voting during the plenary session, called to the people, “The Japanese prime minister just gave up the most important thing in Japan to the U.S. We have no choice but to take it back because it is so important to us.  Let’s establish a new government that can do that. Our struggle has yet to finish.”

Until the end of the deliberations and the voting under the runaway Abe government, there were conspicuous irregularities in the steering of the Diet, including the forcible resolution of the unconstitutional bills, the restriction on time to speak and so on. (By M)
 Photo: People protest in front of the Diet building on Sept. 18.
video by YUMOTO Masanori 3min.

「悲壮感はない、怒りと憤りだ」～議事堂を揺るがす「採決撤回！」のコール

 「戦 争法案」の参院本会議採決は野党の抵抗と4万人をこえる国会包囲の力で、9月18日中の採決を許さなかった。日にちをまたぎ終電がなくなっても、国会周辺 には千人を超える人々がいた。そして「野党ガンバレ」の声を上げ続けた。午前2時18分、本会議可決をスマホの中継画面で確認したシールズの奥田愛基さん は、間髪入れずに「採決撤回！」と叫んだ。怒りの大コールが深夜の議事堂を揺るがした。「ここには悲壮感はない。怒りと憤りだ」と語る奥田さん。続けて 「賛成議員を落選させよう」のコールが上がった。もう次の運動が始まっているのだ。野党議員も議場から次々に報告に来た。「一人牛歩」をやった山本太郎さ んは「首相はわが国の一番大切なものをアメリカに差し上げてしまった。大切なものなので返してもらうしかない。それができる政権をつくっていこう。いまか らですよ」と呼びかけた。違憲立法のごり押し、そして本会議でも発言時間を制限するなど、最後まで安倍暴走は際立っていた。（M）  
動画（湯本雅典 3分）　＊写真＝国会正門前（9/18午後9時）

“Think and act as individuals” – Student activist demands Japan’s Diet members

I was encouraged by the refreshing speech by OKUDA Aki (photo), a member of SEALDs (Students’ Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy), at a public hearing on the Security Bill (actually the “War Bill”) at a Diet session in Japan on September 15, 2015. Before starting his speech, he sharpened up many sleeping Diet members who are supposed to represent the Japanese people. I was very happy with his action as I was frustrated whenever I saw the lawmakers sleep during the session. Many others who were watching the hearing were tweeting the same feelings. There, Okuda thoroughly explained why the younger generation had been criticized as being apathetic about politics and who was responsible for the political apathy. (MATSUMOTO Chie)

 Video(Okuda’s comments. 16 minutes)

「一個人として考え行動してほしい」～シールズの奥田愛基さん公聴会で意見陳述

議員が席を埋める国会で、はじめて自分の声を代弁してもらえたような清々しさとも満足感とも言える印象を得たのは、９月１５日、安全保障関連法案に関する公聴会で、SEALDsメンバー・奥田愛基さん（写真）の発言を聞いたときだった。私たちの税金で、私たちの意思を担いで国会に勤める議員らを前に、まずは文字通り目を覚ませ、仕事をしろと喝を入れた。国会中継を見るたびに居眠りをする議員らを見て、そのつど怒りを感じていたため、これを聞いて胸がすっきりした。ツイッターでは、公聴会を視聴していた多くの人たちが、同じような意見を回覧していた。奥田さんの言葉には、政治に無関心だと批判されてきた世代が、なぜそうであったかその責任の所在やその理由がつまっていた。（松元ちえ）