Why many Japanese are protesting a state funeral for assassinated ex-PM Shinzo Abe
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 8:35 pm
Why many Japanese are protesting a state funeral for assassinated ex-PM Shinzo Abe
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/japan-shi ... -1.6593295
On a humid evening in central Tokyo, Takehiko Tsukushi is chanting.
"Stop the state funeral for Shinzo Abe!"
He's among thousands of protesters holding signs and lining the street across from Japan's parliament building, while listening to fiery speeches blaring from a makeshift stage.
"It's very wasteful," said Tsukushi, referring to the hefty price tag for the upcoming ceremony meant to honour the country's longest-serving yet deeply polarizing former leader.
"He was a liar and he destroyed Japanese society, you know? He should not be the object of a national funeral."
This noisy rally is one of many that have been held around Japan over the past two months, as the movement against a state ceremony for the assassinated ex-prime minister has gathered momentum.
A man shot and killed Abe with a homemade gun in July as he was giving an outdoor stump speech for another candidate during the national election campaign. His brazen murder shocked the country and led to an outpouring of grief around the world.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/japan-shi ... -1.6593295
On a humid evening in central Tokyo, Takehiko Tsukushi is chanting.
"Stop the state funeral for Shinzo Abe!"
He's among thousands of protesters holding signs and lining the street across from Japan's parliament building, while listening to fiery speeches blaring from a makeshift stage.
"It's very wasteful," said Tsukushi, referring to the hefty price tag for the upcoming ceremony meant to honour the country's longest-serving yet deeply polarizing former leader.
"He was a liar and he destroyed Japanese society, you know? He should not be the object of a national funeral."
This noisy rally is one of many that have been held around Japan over the past two months, as the movement against a state ceremony for the assassinated ex-prime minister has gathered momentum.
A man shot and killed Abe with a homemade gun in July as he was giving an outdoor stump speech for another candidate during the national election campaign. His brazen murder shocked the country and led to an outpouring of grief around the world.