Statement on Suppression of the
May 21 Protests in Hiroshima
August 6 Hiroshima Grand Action Organizing Committee.
Dear friends all around the world,
Please find attached the statement on ferocious suppression of the demonstration on May 21 against G7 Summit in Hiroshima, issued by August 6 Hiroshima Grand Action Organizing Committee in solidarity with the International Labor Solidarity Committee of Doro-Chiba
Statement on Suppression of Protest
Against G7 Summit in Hiroshima
August 6 Hiroshima Grand Action Organizing Committee
(May 21, 2023) — Today, May 21, at 11:56, during our protest demonstration against the G7 Hiroshima summit, one student was arrested by the riot police of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on false allegation of “obstruction of public service.” The arrest took place in the midst of violent assault by the police, which surrounded the demonstrators on all sides: the police squad roughly pushed down demonstrators on the ground and pulled in two students. One of them was soon released but the other student was kept in custody in the Hiroshima Central Police Station.
Already on May 18, on the occasion of Japan-US leaders’ talk, a Hiroshima University student, Soma Ohta, was arrested by the similar way and is still in custody. Moreover, as a preventive measure to suppress protest actions against G7 summit, six activists, who had been preparing for the struggle, were unjustly arrested on May 12.
The political aim of these arrests is to forcefully crush our demonstrations by the police violence and to eliminate once for all our movement against war and for the abolition of nukes. We vehemently denounce this ferocious attack and express our firm determination to take back the students from the police custody as soon as possible.
We have carried out seven demonstrations since May 17 for five days in a row against G7 summit in Hiroshima, taking place from May 19. The aim of this summit talk is to intensify the war in Ukraine and, at the same time, to prepare for war on China. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, was invited to the in-person talks and the US president Biden promised him to deliver F 16 fighters during the summit conference. We shall never allow this decision of escalation and expanding wars.
On the Japan-US talk held on May 18, preceding the G7 summit, it was confirmed that “further strengthening of deterrence and response capabilities of Japan-US Alliance,” “the US commitment to the defense of Japan under Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, backed by the full range of capabilities, including nuclear” and expressed a military threat on China by reiterating “the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” Thus, the G7 summit was carried out as a conference also for the war of aggression on China with US and Japan as its axis.
The G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament says: “Our security policies are based on the understanding that nuclear weapons, for as long as they exist, should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression and prevent war and coercion”. It is thus justifying the possession of nukes by the G7 countries. We shall never admit this declaration that outrageously tramples A-bomb victims and workers and citizens in Hiroshima who eagerly wish to abolish all nukes and to oppose war absolutely. Our demonstrations have been carried out to respond to these wishes.
It is evident that the unjust arrests and violent police assaults on the demonstrations are the expression of the true character of G7 summit as war conference. The Kishida government, as the host of G7, has recently doubled the military budget, declared to hold enemy base strike capabilities, turned Nansei Islands, Okinawa, into missile bases, offered military aid to Ukraine and expresses full support to the continuation of war.
We resolutely pledge once again to take back as soon as possible the newly arrested two students and also all comrades taken in custody as preventive measure to suppress protest actions. As our essential duty, we declare our solid determination to fight the war policy of the Kishida government with our all power and make effort to stop the war in Ukraine and to prevent world war together with all people of the world.
August 6 Hiroshima Grand Action Organizing Committee
5-4-302 Fukuro-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-city, 730-0036, Japan
email: 86hiroshima.daikoudo@gmail.com
Watch: Japan Riot Police Pin G7
Protesters to Ground in Violent Scuffle
BBC News Asia Bureau
Violence broke out on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima as riot police wrestled people protesting the meeting of world leaders. Police could be seen pinning protesters to the ground on Sunday after a brawl broke out.
The demonstration was organised by various far-left groups. Those who took part included the extremist group Revolutionary Communist League National Committee, which denounces the G7 summit as a conference of “imperialism for nuclear war”.
The G7 comprises the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan – and eight other nations have been invited this year. They’re meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine and other foreign policy points — including their relationships with China.
Comments
• Jim T (May 25, 2023) — Our friend and ally in Japan sent the following message. It’s not surprising we in the West heard nothing about these Japanese citizens demonstrations.
• Kiji N (May 25, 2023) — Great Statement. Key paragraph:
It is evident that the unjust arrests and violent police assaults on the demonstrations are the expression of the true character of G7 summit as war conference. The Kishida government, as the host of G7, has recently doubled the military budget, declared to hold enemy base strike capabilities, turned Nansei Islands, Okinawa, into missile bases, offered military aid to Ukraine and expresses full support to the continuation of war.
We resolutely pledge once again to take back as soon as possible the newly arrested two students and also all comrades taken in custody as preventive measure to suppress protest actions.
As our essential duty, we declare our solid determination to fight the war policy of the Kishida government with our all power and make effort to stop the war in Ukraine and to prevent world war together with all people of the world.
• Jim T (May 25, 2023) — Our Japanese allies face huge risks from the brutal, hypocritical, authoritarian Japanese government. Feel free to let Mr. Yamamoto know you support his work.
• Michael W (May 25, 2023) — This is exactly what happened in the run-up to WW2. I once met a member of the pre-WW2 peace movement in Japan (now sadly deceased) who described what they went through. It was exactly the same. Those pre-WW2 Japanese peace demonstrators were heros, they endured brutal suppression and did everything they could to prevent war. But today you never hear about them. This is another lost history.
The woman I met was Yayoi Tsukahara (https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/yayoi-tsukahara-obituary?id=37760840 ), the mother of Mike Tshukahara, who worked with us on the campaign to free 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, first US Army officer to publicly refuse orders to Iraq (https://ddr.densho.org/narrators/243/ ). Too bad the SF Chronicle report didn’t go into her heroic story of protest and survival in WW2 Japan. But at least it mentions her lifetime of protest and service in the peace and justice movements here in the US after WW2, and her service and care for veterans at the VA Hospital. Please go to the link and read her story.
• Jim T (May 25, 2023) — Almost no mainstream media cover this demonstration. Other than a small article by BBC, Asia bureau, https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-65663384 The media hat covered the demonstration are NHK, CCTV, Rt , and some Japanese media; you got the gist. A total cover-up of the heroic Japanese citizens who treasure peace and want no part in any war.
G7 Hiroshima Summit Backtracks on
“Norm against Nuclear Weapons”
Basel Peace Office and NoFirstUse Global
Basel Peace Office Director Alyn Ware
(May 25, 2023) — Leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and USA, who met in Hiroshima for the G7 Summit from May 19-21, adopted the G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament. The Vision statement reaffirms commitments to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament and criticizes Russia and China for their nuclear weapons policies, but fails to commit the G7 countries to any new measures to reduce nuclear threats or advance nuclear disarmament.
Worse, the Hiroshima Vision backtracks from the statement made at the G20 Bali Summit in November last year by the G20 Leaders — which includes all of the G7 Leaders — that ‘The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.”
Basel Peace Office Director Alyn Ware was in Korea and Japan during the two weeks week leading up to the G7 Summit for meetings with the Japan Foreign Ministry, Japan and Korean Sections of PNND (Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament), Hiroshima Prefecture Peace Team and Mayors for Peace secretariat. The meetings focused on advancing the norm of non-use of nuclear weapons, establishing a North-East Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone and effective campaigns for global nuclear abolition.
Nuclear Taboo from Norm to Law
Presented to the G7 Summit iin Hiroshima
Basel Peace Office and NoFirstUse Global gathered endorsements from over 1000 legislators, youth, academics/experts, religious leaders and civil society leaders from G7 and other countries for a declaration, Nuclear Taboo from Norm to Law, calling for affirmation and implementation of the Bali statement that “The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.”
Alyn Ware, Director of the Basel Peace Office and Aaron Tovish, Steering Committee Member of NoFirstUse Global, presented the Declaration and list of endorsers to the Foreign Ministry of Japan (host of the G7 Summit) and to parliamentarians at a PNND meeting in the Japanese parliament. In addition, the Declaration was circulated to media and civil society observers at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima. (See G7 Hiroshima Summit should reaffirm the Nuclear Taboo).
Despite this, the Hiroshima Vision statement backtracks on the Bali statement, weakening the norm against nuclear weapons. Instead of affirming that “The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible” (without exception or caveat), the Hiroshima Vision says only that “…threats by Russia of nuclear weapon use … in the context of its aggression against Ukraine are inadmissible.”
In addition, the Hiroshima Vision notes that “security policies are based on the understanding that nuclear weapons, for as long as they exist, should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression and prevent war and coercion.”
“In essence the Hiroshima Vision implies (incorrectly) that it is perfectly “admissible” to threaten nuclear weapon use for defensive purposes and to deter aggression and prevent war and coercion,” said Aaron Tovish, NoFirstUse Global Steering Committee Member, speaking from Hiroshima. “Many of Russia’s string of nuclear threats have been couched in this language, as have many of the US’s past nuclear threats.” (See Neither Gold, Silver nor Bronze: G7’s SUBstandard Performance in Hiroshima).
Onward to the NPT, G20 and UNGA
The Basel Peace Office and NoFirstUse Global are not giving up on implementation of the G20 affirmation that “The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.” We will continue to accept endorsements for Nuclear Taboo from Norm to Law in order to also present it to Preparatory Meeting of States Parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty in Vienna (August), G20 Summit in Delhi (September) and the UN General Assembly (October).
Please encourage your colleagues to endorse so that we can elevate the political impact of this Declaration of Public Conscience.
