Japan Press Weekly

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2015 August 12 - 18 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Youth organizations opposing war bills multiplying nationwide scale

Inspired by young protestors in Tokyo, organizations of young people seeking to scrap the government-sponsored war bills are springing up all over the country.

Akahata reported that as of August 13, waves of young people’s move to set up groups aiming to kill the bills spread to 32 out of 47 prefectures, including Hokkaido, Akita, Kumamoto and Nagasaki. On August 15, young people in Okinawa will launch a protest group.

A demonstration which was held by young people, including a university students’ group called SEALDs, on June 14 at Tokyo’s Shibuya district with 3,500 people participating marked the beginning of this move.

In Tokyo, the SEALDs-hosted weekly Friday night protest in front of the Diet building has been attracting many people of various ages. On August 2, called for by a senior high school students ’ group named T-ns Sowl, 5,000 people, including high school students and university students, marched in protest through Shibuya’s major shopping streets.

SEALDs and other youth groups will conduct a nationwide campaign on August 23 with the aim of increasing public opposition to the war bills. A week later, they will also take to the streets at various locations across Japan as part of another nationwide campaign which trade unions and civil groups plan to carry out with one million people participating.

Past related articles:
> 5,000 high school students parade in Shibuya to oppose PM’s war bills [August 3, 2015]
> Young voices against war legislation echo across Japan [July 11-14, 2015]