2016 June 15 - 21 [
SOCIAL ISSUES]
Anti-nuclear power weekly action reaches 200th milestone
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The 200th weekly action opposing nuclear power generation took place on June 17 outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo.
The every Friday night action organized by the Metropolitan Coalition against Nukes (MCAN) started on March 29, 2012, about one year after the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown. Since then, this event has become a symbol of the campaign seeking a new Japan free from nuclear power generation.
A 70-year-old man who takes part every week said, “There has been no change in the government position promoting nuclear power generation. We must bring down the Abe administration by defeating the ruling parties in the upcoming Upper House election.”
Another man, 22, living in Tokyo’s suburban city of Tama, attended the action for the first time when invited by his friend. “I’ve been inspired by watching other people of my generation participating in demonstrations. I cannot tolerate the Abe administration placing a higher priority on restarting offline nuclear reactors across the country.”
A 51-year-old woman from Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, said, “Until the Fukushima disaster, I had believed in the government propaganda about the ‘complete safety’ of nuclear power generation. I want to help get rid of such a deceitful government through the Upper House election.”
Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Miyamoto Toru joined in the action and gave a speech in solidarity. Referring to the fact that the Otsu District Court rejected the operator’s petition for suspending the court injunction against operating two reactors at the Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, he said, “Let’s continue working together to create a nuclear power-free Japan.”
Following the rally, participants chanted, “We don’t need nuclear power generation!” “Don’t restart any atomic reactors!”
Past related article:
> Working for Japan free from N-reactors, many rallies held on 5th year of Fukushima disaster [March 13 & 14, 2016]