Powerful Demonstration on April 27 in Shibuya, Tokyo and nationwide in solidarity with Okinawa against War and sexual assaults ／Down with the Ishiba administration!

Militant demonstration in Shibuya, down town Tokyo, with students of Zengakuren arm in arm with white helmets. A significant number of passers-by on the street joined the demonstration, mostly young people, students and women

After 73 years since the San Franscisco Peace Treaty became effective on April 28, 1952, “a day of humiliation”, a Okinawa Day united action was carried out around the country with slogans: “Dismantle all the military bases. Crush Japan-US Security Treaty! Down with Trump and Ishiba!”

In Tokyo, on April 27 a rally with 830 participants headed by Zengakuren students was held in Yoyogi park and marched to Shibuya breaking police suppression and succeeded in joining the broad mass on the Shibuya Crossing who are angry with the on-going war drive through militant demonstration.

The head of a long line demonstrators with a banner: “Stop US-Japanese war on China” “Crush attempt to turn Okinawa into a military bastion! “Down with Trump and Ishiba!”

On the rally in Yoyogi park, the opening speech of Hiro Yajima, president of Zengakuren, who appealed “to wage a powerful anti-war demonstration in solidarity with Okinawa, where anger against military bases, war and sexual violence is boiling up, drew attention of all the participants as well as the passers-by on holiday walk.

A powerful rally in a park before the demonstration declared to fight for May 15 Okinawa struggle and June 14 Anti-War struggle

The rally was opened up with an address of Shunkichi Takayama, a lawyer, who is one of the coordinators of today’s action, sharply criticized the current situation of the Diet, which has been degraded into “national unity” for war and insisted that a genuine anti-war struggle starts when the mass of people stands up to overthrow the state power. The key note speech by Haruki Saito, general secretary of Zengakuren, vehemently denounced the sexual violence of a US soldier in Okinawa, which was exposed on April 23 and appealed to rise up to change such an outrageous situation of Okinawa today.

It was followed by a series of speeches: Doro-Chiba, Farmers Opposition League of Sanrizuka and Narita against Airport, Anti-war Grand March of Okinawa, Democratic Women’s League. A letter from Masaaki Osaka, innocent political prisoner, representing 1970’s Okinawa struggle was read out.

After fresh and lively speeches of Zengakuren students, who played a main role in the demonstration, including new comers, Tomoko Horaguchi, council member of Suginami ward in Tokyo, concluded the rally with an appeal to rise up for anti-war struggle in face of imminent war by Trump and Ishiba on China and to fight against sexual discrimination and violence under the pre-war situation.