Quake city residents attend rally against war on Iraq
More than 500 people participated in a rally against a possible U.S. war on Iraq on February 9 in Kobe City, a western Japanese city which was devastated by an earthquake in 1995.
Oda Makoto, writer and one of the rally organizers, stated, "Natural disasters cannot be prevented, but war can. We must not allow war to create more suffering."
Japanese Communist Party Lower House member Fujiki Yoko called on the participants to send out their voices against war from Kobe, which had the tragic quake experience.
A radio personality, Buddhist, and representative of a quake victims' group also spoke in solidarity.
After the rally, the participants staged a march in a busy shopping street. (end)
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