Huge changes occurring in protest techniques in Japan via The Asahi Shimbun

Where “revolution” could once be defined in Japan as something akin to the violent protests in 1960 against the revision of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, today’s growing protests against nuclear power are redefining the term.

The protests have been orderly by comparison, attracting a broad cross-section of protesters. Their intensity is not waning, with demonstrations held every Friday night in the vicinity of the Prime Minister’s Office drawing more people with each passing week.

Sponsored by the Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes, the July 13 rally drew about 150,000 people, according to the organizers. The police did not release its estimate of the crowd size.

Staff members volunteered to direct the demonstrators and provide emergency medical care when needed.

After about 50,000 people gathered for the protest on June 22, the writer Takashi Hirose said, “Since the young people are putting so much effort into it, we old people should also do what we can.”

Hirose and his group collected donations and chartered a helicopter to take aerial photographs of the demonstrations from June 29.

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