Japan Press Weekly

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2014 June 11 - 17 [POLITICS]

Peace groups protest against SDF’s military parade in Nagasaki

In protest against a military parade of the Self-Defense Forces in Nagasaki’s Sasebo City, local branches of the Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Gensuikyo) and the Japan Peace Committee on June 14 jointly held a rally.

At the rally, Yamashita Chiaki of the local Gensukiyo said, “The march of armed soldiers in the downtown area clearly goes against the spirit of Article 9 of the Constitution.”

Representatives of a citizens group working to protect the Constitution, the prefectural New Japan Women’s Association, and the Japanese Communist Party Nagasaki Prefectural Committee also delivered speeches in solidarity.

The rally organizers on June 9 made representations to local SDF offices demanding the cancellation of the march.

The Ground SDF’s Camp Ainoura (Nagasaki Prefecture) organizes a military parade once a year, and this year, the Maritime SDF also took part in the annual event for the first time.

On June 14, around 760 troops wearing camouflage uniforms and holding handguns marched through the center of downtown Sasebo City.