35,000 people rally against medical and contingency bills

Firmly opposed to enacting two bills related to the revision of the medical insurance system and the contingency legislation, about 35,000 people from across the country attended a rally in Tokyo on July 19, at the final stage of the current Diet session.

The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), the Central Council for Promotion of Social Security, and two other organizations sponsored the big rally. Strong voices demanding that "the House of Representatives must be dissolved for a general election" echoed at Meiji Park.

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo explained about the Diet situation.

He said, "Facing public struggles, the government-ruling parties have had to give up enacting the contingency bills within the current Diet session. However, we have not won completely yet. The need for us now is to foil the bills completely so that they will not be rediscussed in the next Diet session.

As regards the medical bill, we can't relax our guard at all. Convinced that justice is taking sides with us, let's make every possible effort to rally public opinion so that the bill will be scrapped."

Speakers included representatives of the Liaison Council of Civil Aviation Workers' Unions and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, a university student, and a nurse.

Similar rallies, demonstrations, and street actions took place in Hokkaido, Kyoto, Kochi, Kagoshima, and other prefectures. (end)