30,000 protest against wartime legislation

More than 30,000 people attended a rally "STOP! Wartime Legislation" on May 23 in Meiji Park, Tokyo, and expressed firm determination to block the bills in the House of Councilors.

The rally was jointly sponsored by 20 land, sea, air, and dock workers' unions, religious and anti-war organizations, and 97 well-known individuals in various fields.

Uchida Taeko, Japan Federation of Aviation Workers' Unions chair, criticized the ruling coalition and the opposition Democratic Party for ignoring broad criticism by ramming the bills through in the House of Representatives.

Speakers at the rally included members of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, a youth organization, and NGOs. Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Fudesaka Hideyo and Social Democratic Party leader Doi Takako spoke in solidarity.

A female junior high school student, introducing her protest against the Iraq war in front of the U.S. embassy by stating that children also have the right to build the future, received a large round of applause. (end)