Japan anti-nuclear protesters rally three months after quake

[sce56]

Source: Reuters

Thousands of anti-nuclear protesters marched in Japan on Saturday, the three-month anniversary of an earthquake and tsunami that triggered the worst nuclear disaster in 25 years, pressing the government to cut the country's reliance on atomic power. Three reactors went into meltdown after the massive quake hit the Fukushima Daiichi plant in northeastern Japan, forcing some 80,000 of residents to evacuate from its vicinity as engineers battled radiation leaks, hydrogen explosions and overheating fuel rods.

Company workers, students and parents with children on their shoulders rallied at multiple demonstrations across Japan, venting their anger at the government's handling of the crisis, carrying flags written with "No Nukes!" and "No More Fukushima." "If they don't get the message now, what else has to happen before we stop using atomic energy which has proved so dangerous?" said kindergarten worker Yu Matsuda, 28. She brought her two- and four-year old children to protest together in front of the headquarters of the operator of the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Corporation (Tepco).

"I want my children to play outside safely and swim in our sea without any worries," Matsuda said, listening to speeches by civil rights activists and survivors from the tsunami-affected areas. The protests are likely to add to public pressure that caused a shutdown of the Hamaoka nuclear plant in May and delays to the restarts of reactors across the country after scheduled maintenance until tighter safety measures are put in place.

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"The nuclear lobby says the cost of green energy is too high. But I say the cost of cleaning up this mess and the possibility of more such accidents at the expense of our lives is much higher," said entrepreneur Yonosuke Sawada, 59. Angry protesters, shouting "Tepco liars!" and "Give us our friends back!" also criticized the government for its handling of the disaster, which left more than 23,000 dead or presumed dead and laid waste to a broad swathe of the northeast. Embattled Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who on Saturday visited quake-affected areas to commemorate the victims of the disaster, last week survived a no-confidence vote by saying he would step down when the worst of the crisis was over. That fueled uncertainty about the smoothness and the speed of recovery as there is still no agreement on how to pay for Japan's biggest reconstruction project since the years after World War Two.

"It's not a matter of what political party you support. Fukushima is still emitting radiation and politicians should concentrate on ending the crisis -- not infighting," said a company worker Jun Miyakawa, 43, sporting a hat in a shape of an exploded reactor building. "People in Japan do have opinions, but are not used to expressing them in public like the Germans," said Reo Komazawa, 39. "I came here with my friends to play music and to show through music we are anti-nuke," he said as a colorful group of musicians and dancers marched on in the crowd of protesters.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110611/wl_nm/us_japan_nuclear_protest

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It is a growing movement!

[AndyTiedye]

1. k/r

[sce56]

2. I see the Pro Nukes have been at it the rec count is down from previously! Nothing to see here just

people demanding accountability and change in how they are being poisoned.

[bananas]

3. Photos from a DUers daughter posted in GD

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1277180

Celebration (1000+ posts) Sat Jun-11-11 10:38 AM

Anti Nuclear Protest In Japan--Daughter's Photos

Despite the rain, my daughter attended the anti nuclear rally today in Japan, and got some photos from in front of the Tepco headquarters, and other places.

She translates the signs, too.

http://japansense.blogspot.com/2011/06/611-anti-nuclear-energy-demo-in.html

[sce56]

4. As reported on NHK world news site

Japanese hold anti-nuclear rallies


A series of anti-nuclear demonstrations were held across Japan on Saturday. The rallies coincided with the 3 month anniversary of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami that resulted in the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. About 2,400 protesters took part in a rally in central Tokyo. Gathering in Minato Ward, they called for the closure of nuclear power plants and a change in the government's energy policies. A man from Fukushima Prefecture said the nuclear accident is a problem for all Japanese people. He said as long as the country continues to rely on nuclear power, another Fukushima-type accident could happen.

The protesters then marched to the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the Fukushima plant. They demanded that the people of Fukushima Prefecture be given back their lives. A 39-year-old man said he fears radiation as it cannot be seen. He said each person must raise his or her voice to demand the closure of nuclear power plants.

Sunday, June 12, 2011 01:29 +0900 (JST)

A blogger stated 130 separate protest's around the country. Her mother, our very own Celebration posted a link to her daughters site here