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Hundreds of protesters in Tokyo rally against Biden's visit to Japan

  • Posted May 23, 2022 11:17 by Anthony Ellis
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INTERNATIONAL: Hundreds of Japanese people rallied at Shiba Park in Tokyo on Sunday to protest against U.S. President Joe Biden's three-day visit to Japan, as international tensions are running high over the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Biden arrived in Japan on Sunday and is set to attend a summit on Tuesday where he will meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister to promote the "Quad" mechanism.

The Quad, also the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, was initiated by then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007, supported by then leaders of the U.S., India and Australia.

Protesters at the rally held banners reading "oppose the meeting between U.S. and Japanese leaders" and "oppose the Quad and the IPEF (the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework proposed by Biden during the East Asia Summit in October 2021)".

Some protesters wore vests saying "oppose wars".

"I oppose Biden's visit to Japan. I think it will bring about a new crisis to Asia. I think the U.S.-Japan alliance aims to dominate Asia by military operations. Now the alliance is planning to gradually involve Japan and its Self-Defense Force into wars," said Ryusuke Motoyama, a member of the Bureau of Affairs of the Executive Commission for Preventing Constitutional Amendment for War.

"I think the Quad mechanism is very dangerous. And I think the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework is also dangerous as it will do harm to Japan. I don't want U.S. and Japan to hold a top leaders' meeting," said Kanamori, one of the protesters.

Some protesters mentioned the ongoing Ukraine crisis, pointing out that the U.S. and NATO are the root causes of the conflict.

"West European countries and NATO members led by the U.S. have intensified the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, provided military supplies [for Ukraine], imposing sanctions on Russia. All this will not stop the conflict, but intensify and prolong it, instead. I can't forgive such actions," said Ota, another protester.

"From a historical perspective, it is the eastward expansion advanced by the U.S. and NATO that provoked Russia's resistance. The root cause is the U.S.," said Shunkichi Takayama, a lawyer.

"The Quad mechanism is a kind of so-called talks among robbers. They discuss how to carve up the world and form their small bloc of interests. They said they would stop wars for peace, but in fact, they continue to provide weapons to Ukraine. We think what they did is wrong, so we oppose Biden's visit to Japan and their attempt to gang up," said Fumito Morikawa, another lawyer.


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