Arab News Japan
TOKYO: Around 100 protesters gathered outside the lively Shinjuku train station on Sunday, raising their voices to demand that the United States and Israel stop their military actions against Iran.
At the emergency protest, participants waved placards and banners, their messages a powerful plea for peace in the Middle East and against military intervention.
Slogans like “Hands off Iran” and “No War” rippled through the crowd, alongside bold declarations such as “America and Israel are Destroying the World,” “Israel is a Terrorist Country,” and “Don’t Allow the Invasion of Iran.”
An American protester took the microphone, highlighting the demonstration’s global reach and solidarity across borders.
Speakers cautioned that any further escalation could plunge the Middle East into deeper turmoil, urging world leaders to choose diplomacy over warfare. Their criticism extended beyond Iran, touching on issues in Palestine, Venezuela, and immigration, painting a sweeping critique of US foreign policy.
Curious passersby paused to watch the demonstration, a sign of rising public unease in Japan over the unfolding crisis in the Middle East.
One speaker cautioned against sending Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to the Strait of Hormuz, arguing it would betray the nation’s pacifist ideals. Protesters voiced frustration at the Japanese government’s “silence” over what they called indiscriminate killings of Iranians, urging Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae to raise the issue with President Trump during her upcoming visit to the United States in April.
Demonstrators warned that failing to act on the attacks against Iran could ignite a wider conflict, potentially drawing in the United States, Israel, and Japan.
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in the attacks conducted by the United States and Israel. Iranian state television also reported in the early hours of March 1 local time that Khamenei had died.
AloJapan.com