Japan Press Weekly

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2018 April 11 - 17 TOP3 [POLITICS]

50,000 citizens near Diet building shout out for PM Abe to resign

Amid growing public anger against the Abe government which is tainted with a pair of school-related scandals and the Self-Defense Force cover-up scandal, 50,000 citizens filled the streets in front of the Diet building on April 14, shouting in chorus, “Resign, PM Abe!”

The protest action was jointly called for by the All-Out Action Committee consisting of trade unions and a wide range of civil groups, a teens and twenties group “Public for Future”, and a concerned citizens’ group “Stand For Truth”.

Representing the three groups, Fukuyama Shingo of the All-Out Action Committee delivered a speech. Fukuyama criticized Prime Minister Abe for moving to weaken the pacifist Constitution and using his power for his own interest, and called on the participants to help strengthen collaboration between opposition parties and concerned citizens to bring down the Abe regime as early as possible.

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo and lawmakers of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party gave solidarity speeches.

JCP Chair Shii said, “The JCP will work even harder in the Diet to disclose the facts behind the allegations, including PM Abe’s favoritism given to ‘Moritomo’ and ‘Kake’ school corporations and the hiding of SDF documents.” Shii stressed that joint efforts of opposition parties and concerned citizens have driven the Abe administration into a corner and added, “Let us establish a sincere government and restore democracy in Japan by putting an end to the Abe Cabinet without delay.”

A 26-year-old man who came from Osaka to participate in the action said, “I’m really angry at PM Abe’s irresponsible attitude toward government officials’ malfeasance such as the falsification and concealment of official documents. I hope opposition parties will thoroughly probe into the matter and change Japanese politics for the better.”

On the day, sister protests took place in at least 20 places across Japan in solidarity with the demonstration in front of the Diet building.

In Hokkaido’s Sapporo City, holding placards that read, “Bye-bye lying Abe Cabinet!” “Step down, PM Abe!” 300 young people marched in demonstration through the city’s downtown area.

In the protest held in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, 250 citizens stood side by side, displaying placards reading, “Go away, PM Abe!”, “PM Abe, abide by the Constitution!”

A 38-year-old male participant, who learned of the action through the Internet, said, “I’m sensing a rightwing mood in Japan. It is totally unacceptable to amend the Constitution which was established based on lessons of Japan’s past war of aggression.”

Past related articles:
> 6 opposition parties: Cover-up of documents regarding SDF’s mission in Iraq should be top of Diet agenda [April 6, 2018]
> Koike: Sagawa falls far short of providing answers regarding ‘Moritomo’ scandal [March 28, 2018]
> LDP will soon start work on constitutionalizing SDF [March 24, 2018]