 Together we create peace: High school students rally in Tokyo About 800 high school students from around the country on March 21 assembled at a major peace rally in Shibuya, Tokyo, to mark the second anniversary of U.S.led-invasion of Iraq. Participants spoke one after another holding decorations with peace messages reading "We say no to war, peace is best," "Together we create peace!" and "Spread the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution to the rest of the world!" Twenty members of the high school peace seminar, "Aomori Peace Sky," from the north-eastern Japanese prefecture of Aomori took part dressed in costumes of their traditional local festival "Nebuta", chanting "We aren't helpless at all. Let's achieve a war-free, peaceful world!" At the rally, Kobayashi Shuichi, a professional boxer, spoke, stating, "I want all international disputes to be settled through talks, not by force." After the rally, the students marched in demonstration through the Shibuya streets and delivered their anti-war messages to passers-by. Some students carried a big tapestry made up of 160 pieces of cloth on which a brief message of peace was written on each piece. A trio of coeds participated, wearing costumes with balloons of peace messages attached. On the same day, at another meeting, Ms.Takato Naoko, who works with NGOs as a volunteer in Iraq, spoke about the real state of Iraq showing video footages that show how innocent Iraqis are oppressed and killed by the occupation forces. (end) |