Tens of thousands of peace-loving Japanese citizens participated in a rally in Tokyo on Constitution Memorial Day on Saturday to show their support for peace and express their opposition to constitutional amendments. Observed on May 3 every year, the memorial day commemorates the 1947 enactment of Japan's pacifist constitution, which includes Article 9, a clause that renounces the nation's right to engage in war or to resort to military force to resolve international conflicts.
At the rally, participants displayed banners reading "Protect the Constitution, Safeguard World Peace" and voiced concerns about the growing push for military expansion.
"Japan's current constitution prohibits the country from waging war. However, there is an increasing movement within Japanese society pushing for constitutional amendments," said a participant.
"The key point is that Japan must never wage war again. Japan has previously invaded China, the Korean Peninsula, and Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines. We must ensure that aggression will never happen again," said another participant.
Taku Yamazoe, a Japanese senator, also joined the rally and emphasized the importance of maintaining a pacifist constitution to ease regional tensions.
"Amid Japan's ongoing military buildup, and proposals for closer integration with the United States to strengthen its military forces and efforts to fuel regional tensions, it is even more crucial to reaffirm and demonstrate the importance of a diplomatic approach based on a pacifist constitution," said Taku Yamazoe.
Some participants argued that the Japanese government should focus more on improving the people's livelihood rather than expanding military forces.
"This is my wallet, and there is some money in it. The key question is, where should this money be spent? Should it be used for the military or for social welfare? When asked where it should be allocated, I believe that rather than spending it on the military, it should be invested in improving people's lives, or in other words, in the field of social welfare," said a participant.
Rally held in Tokyo on Japan's Constitution Memorial Day to honor peace, oppose constitional amendments
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
