Antinuke demonstrators still there

December 29, 2012

Demonstrators protest Abe Cabinet review of zero nuclear policy

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20121229p2a00m0na008000c.html

Anti-nuclear energy demonstrators defied the drizzly weather in front of the Prime Minister's Office on the evening of Dec. 28, marking their first weekly protest since the second Abe Cabinet took office earlier this week.

Filling the sidewalks near the premier's office in Tokyo's Nagatacho district, the demonstrators repeatedly chanted, "No to nuclear power" and "Listen to the voices of the people," in protest against the new administration's announced review of the previous Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)-led government's pledge to end nuclear power in Japan by the 2030s.

"Before bringing Japan back to what it was, first bring Fukushima back to us," read one of the placards raised by demonstrators, apparently poking fun at Abe's House of Representatives election campaign slogan of "regaining Japan."

A 64-year-old taxi driver from Tokyo's Edogawa Ward took a day off work to join the protest, thinking, "I should demonstrate my will."

"I wanted to tell the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that it shouldn't think it has gained the confidence of the entire public, as the party garnered less than 30 percent of votes in the proportional representation blocs (in the general election)," he said. "I want them to know that calls for Japan's breakaway from nuclear energy are this strong."

A 30-year-old from the Tokyo suburb of Hino who rushed to the rally after work, said, "The LDP hardly said anything about its nuclear policy during the election campaign, but now it's going to reactivate nuclear reactors, which is absolutely not fair. I will come here again and again (to protest), even after New Year's."

A 42-year-old self-employed woman from Tokyo's Suginami Ward confided that all she finds naught but disappointment in Japanese politics.

"In this country that caused a nuclear disaster, a party promoting nuclear power has taken control of the government while an anti-nuclear party was split into two," she said. "As for me, I will continue to do what I can. I will keep joining demonstrations" against nuclear power.

The weekly Friday protests in front of the Prime Minister's Office organized by citizens group "Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes" have continued since 2011 in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear meltdowns.