Anti-nuke protests continue

July 7, 2012

Nuclear protesters fill areas around Prime Minister's Office

Protesters call for the suspension of the Oi nuclear power plant in front of the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward amid the rain on the evening of July 6. (Mainichi)

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120707p2a00m0na008000c.html

Tens of thousands of protesters against the restart of the Oi nuclear power plant braved the cold evening rain to fill walkways and pavements around the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on July 6, demonstrating their continued efforts and unity in calling for a breakaway from nuclear power.

While the anti-nuclear protest has been staged near the premier's office in the Nagatacho district every Friday evening since March, the latest action marked the first since the reactivation of the No. 3 reactor at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture on July 1.

Participants of the rally, which started shortly before 6 p.m. amid the rain, raised placards reading "Abolish nuclear power plants" and chanted such slogans as "No to reactivation" and "Bring our Fukushima back."

Musician Ryuichi Sakamoto joined the protest shortly after 7 p.m., encouraging participants through a microphone, "It will be a long struggle, but let's hold out."

A 42-year-old university lecturer from Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward said he cancelled one of his classes to take part in the rally.

"The processes that the government made toward the reactivation (of the Oi plant) were incoherent. I've rushed here today thinking nothing will be changed if things remain as they are," he said.

The Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes, a citizens' network that has organized the weekly protest, put the number of participants in the latest rally at some 150,000, while the Metropolitan Police Department said 21,000 people took part.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda tacitly admitted his awareness of the anti-nuclear movement as he answered reporters' questions while leaving his office for his official residence that evening. When a reporter asked him, "Are you facing up to the voices of protest?", the prime minister nodded in silence. When reporters asked if he had anything to say to the protesters, he replied, "We've received many opinions, various opinions."