700 women march in Ginza to reject terrorism and war

About 700 women against terrorism and war marched through Ginza, Tokyo's
well-known shopping streets during the lunch hour on October 5.

The emergency rally and the demonstration walk to denounce terrorism,
oppose retaliatory war, and call for justice based on international laws was
called by the Liaison Council of the Year of Women and the Constitution.
Participants came from as far away as Niigata and Shizuoka prefectures.

In the rally a message from Kuroyanagi Tetsuko, UNICEF ambassador,
calling for no more deaths of Afghan children was read out.

The march was filled with yellow placards and paper flowers, yellow being
the color chosen to symbolize the walkers' hope for peace.

Matsuda Tokiko, a 94-year old writer in her wheelchair was at the head of
the parade. There were also young mothers who have never taken part in such
a demonstration. Nurses and teachers were there, too. There were many people
who unexpectedly joined the parade as the one thing that they can do now to
oppose war.

After the march, representatives of the liaison council visited NHK and
commercial broadcast station TBS and asked them not to fail to report
grass-roots activities to defend peace. (end)