Civil Movement Swollen

Against unilateral reinterpretation of the Constitution and careless approach to war, movement against new security legislation is suddenly swollen. One hundred and twenty thousand people, marking biggest number in anti-security legislation movement, surrounded the Diet building on Sunday. Same gathering could see in a number of local cities all over Japan. Labeling security bills “war legislation,” the participants required resignation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The host group of demonstration was named “Executive Committee for Don’t Let Wage War and Destroy Article IX All-out Action.” The civil group called demonstrations with one hundred thousand people around Diet building and one million all over Japan. People responded to the call in three hundred cities and towns.

One of the core groups was Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy-s, established on the Constitution Day, May 3^rd, of this year. Their messages include that security bills being discussed in the Diet is unconstitutional, Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan must be protected, and they will not fight any war. They accumulated weekly demonstration in front of Prime Minister’s Official Residence with rhythmical chanting denouncing current administration. Their message was disseminated through social media networks.

Responding to young movement, people gathered from broad area. Some of them were old activists who had joined the movement in 1960, protesting against revision of Japan-United States Security Treaty promoted under Cabinet of Nobusuke Kishi, grandfather of Abe. Those old agers recognized that current demonstration was not constructed by mobilization of leftist organization, but voluntary action.

Leaders of opposite parties joined the demonstration. President of Democratic Party of Japan, Katsuya Okada, raised his voice against the bills. “We should never pass such unconstitutional bills. We need you to render us power for coming three weeks,” appealed Okada. “We have to reject these war bills miserably irrelevant,” said Chairman of Japan Communist Party, Kazuo Shii. While those opposite parties do not have majority in each of the House, there woke up a move of reorganizing as seen in Innovation Party that would attempt to join DPJ this fall.

Abe administration is apparently frustrated with firm opposition from the public. “It is extremely regretful that people in the demonstration are labeling security bills as war legislation or revival of conscription, causing great misunderstanding,” told Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga. If Abe administration goes to forcible passage of the bills, it will be severely damaged by greater rage of Japanese people.