Denounce Israeli air raid on Gaza! Demonstration in Tokyo
We denounce Israeli air raid on Gaza!
Overthrow capitalist rule!
New Year demonstration in downtown Tokyo
On January 3, a demonstration sponsored by the National Coordinating Center of Labor Unions was carried out in Shibuya, downtown Tokyo, with slogans: "Join us in the January 8 demonstration to stop slashing dispatched workers! Down with Nihon-Keidanren (National Corporate Organization)" "We denounce Israeli air raid on Gaza!" By an emergency call, 160 participants rallied, including those dispatched workers who got recently fired and signed up for the latest street campaign against slashing of dispatched workers.
Before starting for demonstration, young workers spoke one after another, "Mitarai, head of Nihon-Keidanren and Cannon Inc., should be fired, not workers" "Let's rise up for a demonstration to overthrow capitalist rule!" "Stop brutal Israeli air raid on Gaza!" Yosuke Oda, president of Zengakuren (All Japan Federation of Student Autonomous Bodies) made a short speech, saying, "Everywhere in the world people are rising up for demonstrations against Israeli air raid on Gaza. We vehemently denounce the indiscriminate massacre of Palestinian people by Israeli government. It's time to take to the streets against war and confront economic crisis with mounting anger!"
Demonstrators with flags of their labor unions, starting from Miyashita Park and passing through the most crowded street in front of Shibuya railway station, shouted slogans: "Change the society by the power of labor union!" "Let's organize fighting unions!" "Capitalists, go to garbage dump!" "Let's take back all what we have given to the society!" "Don't allow Israeli attack on Palestinian people!" "United, we can stop war" "Make a protest demonstration in front of Nihon-Keidanren headquarters!". Drum beat animated angry voices of demonstrators and the street echoed with its sound. A lot of passers-by were fascinated by the militant demonstration and many young workers joined in on-the-spot discussion. The whole street of Shibuya seemed liberated for a while by the militant and vigorous demonstration.
Prior to the demonstration, 60 activists made a street campaign with a great success: 2500 copies of flyers were handed over; 520 people signed up for a protest action against slashing dispatched and temp workers; and fund raising amounted to 110,000 Yen ($1100). It proves the street is filled with anger of working people. A kick-off declaration was issued for a general strike 2009 with a slogan: "We must live!"
Join us all to the protest demonstration to the Nihon-Keidanren:
January 8th, 18:00 p.m.
Tokiwa-bashi Park (4 minutes' walk from Tokyo Station, Yaesu Exit)
