Citizens and students gathered and paraded through the city centre of Tokyo as part of the World Peace Now rally, organized by 47 non-government organizations, including Greenpeace.
Today, more than 40,000 people took to the streets of Japan to
join the global protests against the impending US-led war against
Iraq. Citizens and students gathered at Hibiya Park, Tokyo, and
paraded through the city centre as part of the World Peace Now
rally, organized by 47 non-government organisations, including
Greenpeace.
"We're here today to join the millions of global citizens who
are saying 'no' to war. We're calling on all the world's
governments, including Prime Minister Koizumi and Foreign Affairs
Minister Kawaguchi, to listen to the voice of the people, to stand
by democracy and stop supporting the Bush Administration's march to
war," said Mikiko Fukuda, campaign director of Greenpeace in
Japan.
80% of Japanese people are opposed to a war against Iraq (1) and
more than 10 million people around the world have voiced their
opposition to war over the past few weeks. Even so, only three days
ago, Prime Minister Junichi Koizumi dismissed public opinion as
being "not always right" and he continues to support US President
Bush's intention to wage war.
Many of the protestors today carried placards made from adverts
placed in one of Japan's leading newspapers by Greenpeace. During
the protests, the crowds vowed to send letters to Koizumi and
Kawaguchi calling on them to stop supporting the Bush's call for
war.
"Since we advertised the rally on 3 March, Greenpeace has been
overwhelmed by thousands of responses from people wanting to join
us in speaking out against this war and today, more than 1,000
people showed their support by bringing their own placards," added
Fukuda.
"This level of public protest has not been seen in Japan since
Chelnoviri's time in 1986. Decades of erosion of civil rights in
this country have made many people feel apathetic about public
demonstrations. The turn out today shows how strongly people oppose
this war. It is a landmark in Japanese history," she concluded.
Earlier today in New Zealand, Greenpeace delivered the first
casualties of war, 'innocent people', 'public opinion' and
'international law', in body bags to the Australian Prime Minister,
John Howard, who is currently in Auckland to officially open the
Australian Consulate.
"In backing the US push for war, Howard is dismissing public
opposition to war just as Koizumi is," said Greenpeace campaigner,
Robbie Kelman. "They and all other governments of the world should
be working within the UN to ensure Iraq is disarmed peacefully
through the weapons inspection process," said Kelman.
Notes: (1) Opinion poll conducted by ANN, February 22nd and 23rd, 2003.