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In Tokyo, Thousands Protest the Restarting of a Nuclear Power Plant
"the largest protest in central Tokyo since the 1960s"
"two-thirds of Japanese opposed the restart"
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/world/asia/thousands-in-tokyo-protest-the-restarting-of-a-nuclear-plant.html
In Tokyo, Thousands Protest the Restarting of a Nuclear Power Plant
By MARTIN FACKLER
Published: June 29, 2012
An antinuclear demonstration took place on Friday outside the residence of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in Tokyo. Protests of any size are rare in Japan.
TOKYO — Shouting antinuclear slogans and beating drums, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the Japanese prime minister’s residence on Friday in the largest display yet of public anger at the government’s decision to restart a nuclear power plant.
<snip>
Estimates of the crowd’s size varied widely, with organizers claiming 150,000 participants, while the police put the number at 17,000. Local news media estimated the crowd at between 20,000 and 45,000, which they described as the largest protest in central Tokyo since the 1960s.
Protests of any size are rare in Japan, which has long been politically apathetic. However, there has been growing discontent among many Japanese who feel that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ignored public concerns about safety this month when he ordered the restarting of the Ohi power station in western Japan.
<snip>
Mr. Noda said he ordered the restarting of two of Ohi’s reactors to avoid power shortages that could cause blackouts during the sweltering summer and cripple industry. However, political analysts have warned of a public backlash after opinion polls showed that two-thirds of Japanese opposed the restart, with many saying that the government had failed to convince them that the plant had been made safe.
<snip>
In Tokyo, Thousands Protest the Restarting of a Nuclear Power Plant
By MARTIN FACKLER
Published: June 29, 2012
An antinuclear demonstration took place on Friday outside the residence of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in Tokyo. Protests of any size are rare in Japan.
TOKYO — Shouting antinuclear slogans and beating drums, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the Japanese prime minister’s residence on Friday in the largest display yet of public anger at the government’s decision to restart a nuclear power plant.
<snip>
Estimates of the crowd’s size varied widely, with organizers claiming 150,000 participants, while the police put the number at 17,000. Local news media estimated the crowd at between 20,000 and 45,000, which they described as the largest protest in central Tokyo since the 1960s.
Protests of any size are rare in Japan, which has long been politically apathetic. However, there has been growing discontent among many Japanese who feel that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ignored public concerns about safety this month when he ordered the restarting of the Ohi power station in western Japan.
<snip>
Mr. Noda said he ordered the restarting of two of Ohi’s reactors to avoid power shortages that could cause blackouts during the sweltering summer and cripple industry. However, political analysts have warned of a public backlash after opinion polls showed that two-thirds of Japanese opposed the restart, with many saying that the government had failed to convince them that the plant had been made safe.
<snip>
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
