Japan Press Weekly

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2016 January 20 - 26 [POLITICS]

High school students call for joining in demos to repeal war legislation

Members of a teenagers’ group opposing the national security legislation held a news conference in the Diet building on January 21, announcing a plan to stage demonstrations next month calling for the repeal of the war legislation and the resignation of the Abe Cabinet.

This group, “Teens Stand up to Oppose War Law” (T-ns SOWL), was formed in July 2015 by mainly high school students objecting to the security legislation which was under Diet discussion at that time.

As of January 21, the youth organization is planning to hold demonstrations on February 21 at three locations - Tokyo, Osaka, and the Tohoku region. They are also calling for other civic groups advocating the restoration of democracy and constitutionalism to join in their actions.

At the press conference, a high school boy said, “It is us and our children that will be directly affected by the security laws. Instead of just complaining in front of the TV or the Internet screen, we have to take action.” He went on to stress, “It’s good that people have various political opinions, of course. But the security legislation is in violation of the Constitution. In order to abolish this unconstitutional legislation, it is essential for opposition parties to unite.”

A high school girl said, “I think most supporters of the Abe administration are actually not interested in politics. It is cool to think about politics when it affects our own lives. Through holding demonstrations and study sessions, I want to emphasize the importance of having an interest in politics.”

Past related article:
> High school students in Tokyo and Osaka hold demos calling for abolishing war laws [December 20, 2015]