JCP Chair Shii takes to streets for JCP membership and Akahata readership drive

Japanese Communist Party Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo is reaching
out to the public to take the lead in the JCP "Membership-Akahata Readership
Drive," a major campaign decided on by the JCP 3rd Central Committee Plenum
held in October.

On November 11, Shii stood before some 400 people in front of JR
Funabashi Station in Chiba Prefecture to explain the value of Akahata,
showing its clippings on a panel.

Shii reminded the audience that Akahata is the only newspaper to report
the public opposition to terrorism and the U.S. retaliatory war, in sharp
contrast to the commercial media calling for public support for the war.

Shii also pointed out that many commercial media organizations regard
massive corporate restructuring as "unavoidable," but Akahata is playing the
role as an organizer of the national struggle for job security.

"We want many people to subscribe to Akahata since it truly represents
public opinion. And we want many to join the JCP, because Japan's future
depends on the JCP's influence on Japan's politics," said Shii.

A young man who was listening to Shii together with his girl friend
agreed to subscribe to Akahata, saying, "I didn't know that the JCP has its
own newspaper. I want to know more about Shii and the JCP."

Three others promised to subscribe to the paper and one joined the JCP.

On November 14, Shii spoke to about 300 people in the busiest district in
Kyoto City and discussed with 150 young people in a meeting titled, "Let's
talk with JCP Chair Shii and join the JCP!"

Responding to Shii's call for international solidarity to be increased
through a variety of networks against the war, 12 young people decided to
join the JCP and eight joined the Democratic Youth League of Japan.

Around noon the following day, Shii talked to more than 300 people in
front of the Shiga Prefectural Office in Otsu City. Office workers in the
streets and from open windows of surrounding buildings listened to Shii's
speech calling on them to change Japan together with the JCP, and three of
them became JCP members. (end)