August 6 Hiroshima Anti-war, Anti-Nuke Rally in front of the A-Bomb Dome Defeats the Entry Ban

On the morning of August 6, an anti-war, anti-nuke rally called for by the August 6 Hiroshima Grand Action Organizing Committee was held in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The outrageously unjust attack by the Kishida government, the police, and Hiroshima city authorities to prohibit entry to the Peace Park and ban the rally is aimed to prevent people from raising their voices against war and nuclear weapons on August 6, the a-bomb day. But this attempt was completely failed by the workers and students who stayed overnight and defended the rally arm in arm in front of the Dome from the night before. Filled with fierce anger toward Japanese imperialism and Kishida, who has begun preparations for nuclear war under the name of “extended deterrence.”

●Zengakuren defends the Atomic Bomb Dome all night

This struggle began with a sit-in protest in front of the Dome the night before. On the night of August 5, a call was made for an all-night sit-in protest in front of the Dome to defeat Hiroshima City’s attack banning gatherings, and 200 people responded to this. A kickstart rally for the sit-in was held at 10pm. A Hiroshima University student who had participated in the struggle to crush the G7 Hiroshima Summit last year hosted the rally. Students from Zengakuren spoke one after another. “No matter how harsh oppression and obstruction we face, we shall not be moved,” “I am proud to be a part of this movement.” The remarks were full of determination and conviction, and finally, Zengakuren’s Vice-President Soma Ota appealed, “Defend the A-Bomb Dome, the soul of anti-war anti-nuke struggle!”

Many discussions were held with passers-by and those who had gathered to watch the sit-in. The police posted surveillance units but could not get close to the sit-in, and the right-wingers were quickly repelled.

Around 5 a.m. on the 6th, a Hiroshima city official (the man wearing a bib in the foreground) accompanied by riot police gave a recommendation to leave.
“We will absolutely prevent nuclear war!” With Zengakuren and young workers at the forefront, the arm-in-arm formations defended the venue, even at the risk of being arrested. They did not allow the riot police to lay a finger on them.

Then, just after 4:00 a.m., before dawn, Hiroshima city authorities appeared in front of the A-Bomb Dome accompanied by the Hiroshima Prefectural Police riot squad. To the 400 workers and students who had been sitting in since the night before, they notified to leave the place before the 5:00 p.m. when restrictions of meetings was planned to start. However, when pressed to provide legal grounds, the city officials could not answer a word.

The morning of August 6 went on 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. and , the participants resolutely continued their sit-in, determined to defend the place with body and soul, and one after another workers and students took to the microphone to thoroughly denounce the unjust attack on assemblies. With Zengakuren and young workers at the forefront, arm-in-arm formations defended the line, and 400 people showed their resolute and indomitable fighting spirit, saying they would fight to the end if they were forced to remove them. Overwhelmed by this, the riot police, who were supposed to have received a “request to remove the protesters” from the city authorities, were unable to do anything. The battle was already won at this point. Thus, they defended successful rally and demonstration on the morning of August 6.

Defeating the Kishida administration and Hiroshima city authorities’ ban on anti-war rallies and entry restrictions, 650 people gathered at the rally in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome, which began at 7am. With Zengakuren and young workers at the forefront, they defended the venue with an all-night sit-in, and won a major rally (August 6, Hiroshima City)

●Anti-war voices fill the A-Bomb Dome Place

At 7 o’clock, the scheduled start time of the rally, Secretary-General Ryo Miyahara of the Organizing Committee for the Grand Action declared; “We defeated attacks to ban the rally, we did not allow the police to lay a finger on us! Let’s confirm that we have reached 7 o’clock in this place as an overwhelming victory!” Also, our comrades who could not enter the park due to the entrance restrictions raised flags and banners from the sidewalk and responded to the rally with applause and cheers. With a total of about 650 participants both inside and outside the park, Okinawan postal workers, education workers, Vice-president Toyonori Jinno of Zengakuren, second generation atomic bomb survivors Yasuhiro Ikkanda and Takeshi Nakashima, and former Hiroshima city employee Toshiaki Fukui spoke one after another. A woman from Ehime who is fighting the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant passionately sang “Sit Down Here.” While Misako Takagi, a survivor of the atomic bombing, heartfeltly pleaded, “For our children and young people, we will never allow war. Let’s all fight together until the end,” voices of condemnation were fired one after another at the riot police, who repeatedly shouted, “Stop the rally and leave!”

Rally in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome at 8am on the 6th. Shouts of anger condemned the police for unjustly summoning Secretary-General Miyahara.

A worker from Takatsuki Medical and Welfare Workers’ Union, Vice President of Zengakuren Hiro Yajima, lawyer Fumito Morikawa, one of the initial endorsers of the Grand March against the Constitution Revision and War, and second-generation atomic bomb survivor Ken Tonoko spoke of their unwavering determination against war and nuclear weapons. Finally, Secretary-General Miyahara read out the “August 6 Hiroshima Appeal 2024.”.

After a minute of silence at 8:15a.m., they set off to demonstrate, chanting “Down with Kishida! No to war!” They proceeded from Motoyasu Bridge, where the main gate restricting entry is located, to the opposite bank of the ceremony venue. Kishida, who was giving a speech, was hit directly by a voice “Kishida, warmonger, go home!”

● The demonstration hits Kishida

Everyone observed a minute of silence at 8:15, the time of the atomic bombing, and with renewed anger, they set off to a demonstration to denounce the official ceremony. At the starting point, a man who was a victim of the atomic bomb leaned out from between the police and applauded, saying, “Well done! Well done!” to send off the demonstration. The demonstrators shouted, “Get out of the ceremony!” at Kishida, who is promoting nuclear war, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, and the representative of Israel that continues the genocide.

The aim of the crackdown on August 6 rally last year using the Boshoho (Act on Punishment of Physical Violence and Others of 1926) to eradicate Hiroshima’s anti-war and anti-nuclear struggle, was completely crushed. The not-to-back-down struggle presented a great prospect of preventing an aggressive war against China, a world war.