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Japanese students, scholars protest against security bills

Xinhua, July 31, 2015 Adjust font size:

Over 2,000 Japanese students, scholars and citizens gathered Friday in Tokyo, protesting against the controversial security bills pushed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration.

The gathering, in the name of "Knowledge and Conscience", took place near Japan's National Diet building. Members of the group Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy-s or SEALs and many renowned Japanese scholars made speeches, questioning whether democracy and constitution still exist in Japan now and expressing their anger and dissatisfaction over the Abe administration.

Aki Okuda, member of the SEALDs and student of Meiji Gakuin University, said during the gathering that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe couldn't even tell all the names of the 11 bills in the security-related legislation. He was adamantly opposed to the bills and criticized the behaviors of the ruling LDP in pushing through the bills in the diet.

Chiba Taejin, also a member of the SEALDs and student of Meiji Gakuin University, said ignoring Article 9 means blaspheming the many innocent lives lost in wars. She also accused Abe of being irresponsible for the lives of the Japanese people and possible consequences of wars.

With more and more visitors and overseas students coming to Japan, Kanako Takayama, law professor from Kyoto University stressed that expanding economic, academic and cultural communications between Japan and other countries can really contribute to "proactive pacifism". "The changes of military and security policies undermines Japan's credibility," she said.

She added that as a result of the increased military spending, research funding decreased. "Japan is on the crossroads of becoming a country ruled by dictatorship or continuing to be a modernized country," she said.

After the gathering, the protesters walked towards the National Diet building protesting against the war bills which are deeply unpopular in the country as a whole and asking for the stepping down of the Abe administration. Endi