5,000 people rally calling for contingency bills to be foiled

About 5,000 citizens held a rally in Tokyo on the evening of May 14 in protest against the arbitrary vote at the House of Representatives special committee meeting to approve the contingency bills.

Speaking at the rally in Hibiya Amphitheater, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi called for increased actions in and outside of the Diet to get the wartime bills scrapped in the House of Councilors.

Kumagai Kanemichi, National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) president, gave the speech on behalf of the organizers.

Uchida Taeko, Liaison Council of Civil Aviation Workers' Unions chair, criticized the government for urging the airlines to obtain a U.S. permit to carry munitions for U.S. forces. Pointing out that recent rallies against the wartime legislation have attracted more than 100,000 people, Uchida called for a successful May 23 rally with the largest turnout possible.

A high school student stated that young people do not want to have their dreams destroyed by the war laws. After the rally, participants marched in demonstration to the Diet Building. (end)