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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was heckled by anti-war protesters at a memorial ceremony on Tuesday marking the 81st anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa, reflecting anger over Tokyo's moves away from its post-war pacifist stance. Demonstrators shouted "No to war!" and "Protect Article 9!"—a reference to the constitutional clause renouncing war—throughout her speech Source: japantodaySource: abces.
Takaichi, a security hawk, has pushed for constitutional revision and expanded military capabilities. In April, Japan loosened rules on lethal arms exports Source: scmp. Her comments last year suggesting potential military intervention in a Chinese attack on Taiwan drew fury from Beijing, which views the island as its territory Source: japantodaySource: abces.
While the AFP report via japantoday described the heckling as coming from "a small but vocal number of demonstrators," Chinese state media via abces highlighted the protest as significant, with video clips shared on social media Source: abces. Both confirmed the protesters' slogans and Takaichi's response.
“A small but vocal number of demonstrators shouted slogans throughout Takaichi's speech on Tuesday at an event commemorating the 81st anniversary of the end of the savage 1945 Battle of Okinawa in which some 200,000 Japanese died.”
“Los gritos de «¡No a la guerra!» y «¡Protejan el artículo 9!», en referencia a una cláusula de la Constitución que renuncia ... a la guerra, vinieron de varios manifestantes que acudieron al acto para protestar por el alejamiento de Tokio de su tradicional postura pacifista.”
“Close US ally Japan in April loosened rules on lethal arms exports and Takaichi, long seen as a security hawk who last year riled mainland China with comments about Taiwan, has said she wants to revise the constitution.”