May Day

21.000 demonstrators and at least from the look of this photo not much less police.

More good news - for my natural gas investments.

Why does the parade need guarding? What are they being guarded from? Why so many police?

I suspect they are there to guard Tepco's head office and prevent the demonstrator's from entering it.

Any of these idiots realize the consequences if their act is successful? these morons will be the first on ELECTRIC train to home, to unlock their ELECTRIC autolock, to take ELECTRIC elevator to their second floor, turn on their TV that guess what... yeah, you got it, it runs on ELECTRICITY, than take a bath, that uses same ELECTRICITY to warm up, then they will go to their PC, that runs on ELECTRICITY and start posting antinuclear gibberish.

Why aren't these huge armies of cops around when the right-wingers do their regular cavalcades down my local streets, snarling traffic and causing public disturbances?

JeffLee

Maybe they're related. Do you think the cops would make trouble for their brothers, fathers, and uncles?

Looks like its the police who are demonstrating!!

It's good to finally see Japan media airing some info about these protests. Their voices have been supressed in the past. I think social media forces the main stream media to recognise this.

Is this an old joke? "How many Japanese police does it take to escort a demonstration?"

Nisegaijin has the point. Not one of these protesters has any idea of the alternatives to nuclear power in resource starved Japan. And, I'm sure they would all be protesting again if they were paying three times as much for fossil fuel based power.

How come these demonstrations were never held before the March 11 disaster?

Maybe the cops ARE guarding these protesters from TEPCO. I'm sure many have heard the rumours flying around of TEPCO hiring goons in the past to "deal with" anti-nuclear protesters - I am hoping they are just rumours but you never know...

Why does the parade need guarding? What are they being guarded from?

The radiation!!!! It might attack at any time... OMG!

How come these demonstrations were never held before the March 11 disaster?

Ignorance is bliss. You flick a switch and the light turns on... no need to ponder the source of the electricity until there is a problem.

I do find it hillarious that Japan has had nuclear power for 40 years and nobody has really mounted a protest until now.

Any of these idiots realize the consequences if their act is successful? these morons will be the first on ELECTRIC train to home, to unlock their ELECTRIC autolock, to take ELECTRIC elevator to their second floor, turn on their TV that guess what... yeah, you got it, it runs on ELECTRICITY, than take a bath, that uses same ELECTRICITY to warm up, then they will go to their PC, that runs on ELECTRICITY and start posting antinuclear gibberish.

Do anti-nuclear protesters dream of electric sheep?

nuclear energy is a need, they should be protesting "mismanagement of dangerous substances such as nuclear energy" but probably do not have the brains to think about what they are actually protesting. Losers

"Ignorance is bliss. You flick a switch and the light turns on... no need to ponder the source of the electricity until there is a problem.

I do find it hillarious that Japan has had nuclear power for 40 years and nobody has really mounted a protest until now."

Who's ignorant? Look up Kashiwazaki accident for starters. Protests have been going on for decades in Japan. Who sponsors the media? Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Tepco... Protestors have no money in the game.

Losers

Tell that to their faces?

Protests have been going on for decades in Japan

Not on this scale with this many people

What a beautiful, colourful police parade.

LoL, there is more police than protesters..

How come these demonstrations were never held before the March 11 disaster?

On top of other replies, read the recent JT article, "Judges tend to side...". People have been trying to stop nuclear power plants/ their operators in Japan for years - due to saftey reasons.

...resource starved Japan.

Gee, I didn't know Japan was starved for sunlight and especially not for geo-thermal energy.

There's a lot of police, because protest usually face counter-protests from the Uyoku. They yell a lot, and usually never step to action, but the police are just here to fend those guys off if needed, without using force, just numbers.