Nuclear Protest in Japan: 4 Young Men on Hunger Strike In Front of METI

Diposkan oleh Pengetahuan dan Pengalaman on Monday, September 12, 2011

Upon the 6-month anniversary of the March 11 triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima I Nuke Plant, 4 young men in their late 10s and early 20s started a 10-day hunger strike in front of the most powerful ministry in the Japanese government, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

From Chugoku Shinbun (9/12/2011):

東日本大震災から半年を迎える11日、山口県上関町の岡本直也さん(20)たちが、中国電力による上関原発計画の白紙撤回などを求めて経済産業省前でハンガーストライキを始める。

Naoya Okamoto (age 20) and others from Kaminoseki-cho in Yamaguchi Prefecture will start a hunger strike in front of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry starting September 11, 6 months from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster. They are demanding the plan by Chugoku Electric to build a nuclear power plant in Kaminoseki-cho to be scrapped.

 ハンストをするのは「上関原発に抗議する10代の会」のメンバーの岡本さん、米原幹太さん(21)=千葉県館山市=たち数人。21日までの昼間に座り込みをし、水と塩を口にして過ごす。座り込みの様子は、インターネットのブログや動画投稿サイトなどで発信する。事故の被災者への被害補償の拡大、充実なども訴えるという。

They are members of "The teens group against Kaminoseki Nuke Plant". Until September 21, they will sit in front of the METI during the daytime, taking only water and salt. Their protest will be shown on Internet blogs and video posting sites. They will also demand more compensations for the victims of the nuclear accident.

There was a 2,000-person protest at the Ministry on September 11. The protesters formed a human chain link around the ministry. 10,000-strong demonstration in Shinjuku saw more than 2,000-strong police and riot police, who did their best to provoke protesters and managed to bloody several people and arrested 13. Their offense? It looks like nothing more than touching the policemen and walking on the sidewalk.

A small coverage of the human chain link around METI, hardly any coverage on the Shinjuku protest other than blaming the protesters, in the Japanese mainstream media.

(Video from http://hungerstrike.jimdo.com/)