BREAKING: Tens of thousands flood Tokyo streets to defend Japan’s peace constitution as Trump pushes for war
On the 79th anniversary of Japan’s postwar constitution, tens of thousands of demonstrators packed the streets of Tokyo in one of the largest peace rallies the city has seen in years, gathering to defend Article 9, the constitutional provision through which Japan formally renounces war and the maintenance of military forces.
The crowds were so thick that first-time attendees reportedly needed no directions. They simply followed the mass of people streaming out of the train station.
Demonstrators carried signs bearing messages like “No to war,” “No to changing the constitution,” and “No to militarisation.” Organizers ran out of leaflets and placards before the rally even got underway, a sign of just how many people showed up.
The turnout lands at a moment of intense global pressure on Japan to expand its military footprint, with the Trump administration pushing allies to rearm and take on greater defense burdens. For tens of thousands of Japanese citizens, the answer was clear: they took to the streets to say no.