Protesters "surrounded" the Parliament, which this week will have to decide on the controversial bill that abolishes Art. 9 (and pacifism) of the Constitution. Protests led by opposition leaders and students

Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Tens of thousands of people took to the streets surrounding the national parliament to protest against the new draft law on the rearmament of Japan. The government, led by Shinzo Abe, hopes to get the final vote later this week. In this way, the protesters complain, "we will wipe out 70 years of pacifism", written in the Constitution after the defeat of World War II.

The law in question is the controversial draft law on national security, being considered by the upper house of the Diet. In July 2014, the government led by Abe - counting on a solid majority - proposed a constitutional amendment to Art. 9 of the Charter.

The article, wanted by the US government in the years following the war, only permits the nation to have self-defense forces. In May, the change in the law was approved by the government and also by the lower house in July, despite the various voices of protest.

Last night’s march attracted about 80 thousand people (according to organizers), against 120 thousand gathered by the same groups - in the same place - at the end of August 2015. The marchers comprised young people of Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy, leaders of the opposition parties - including the Democrats and the Communists - and the Nobel Laureate for Literature Kenzaburo Oe.

Tate Iida, 75, came from Chiba prefecture: "I'm not sure that my participation will change something. But I came because I believe that Shinzo Abe’s way of doing things, of acting without listening to the voice of the people, is really wrong".

• JAPAN
• march
• constitution
• rearmament
• pacifism
• shinzo
• abe