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Asian Americans Turn Out For Peace Rally

Massive SF Rally held on Oct.6 Published Saturday, Oct. 6, 2001 in the Hokubei Mainichi

Japan Should Not Take Part in Retaliation

Asian Americans Turn Out For Peace Rally
Published Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2001 in the Nichi Bei Times
By GEOFF TANI Nichi Bei Times Contributor

Small, separate groups of Japanese, Japanese Americans, and Asian Americans participated in a rally for peace on Saturday in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and plans for a U.S. military response.

Starting at 11 a.m., more than 10,000 people ranging widely in age, ethnicity and political agenda gathered at Dolores Park in San Francisco to hear about 35 speakers throughout the day.

Raising such signs as "Our Grief Is Not a Cry For War" and "Being An Arab Is Not A Crime," the demonstrators also marched for over one hour along 18th Street to Mission, returning to the park via 16th Street and Dolores.

In attendance with such organizations as the National Lawyers Guild, KPFA, Quakers, and Global Exchange, a loose coalition of about 30 Japanese residents and students almost all of them women held signs of "Heiwa Ichiban" (Peace #1), "Hate-Free Japanese Community," and the like.

"It is encouraging to see a lot of groups together for peace,"remarked Berkeley gardener Akiyo Kawabata, wearing a yellow origami crane around her neck.

Carrying a sign which read "Koizumi-san, Okinawa Is Not For Sale,2" Minori Okuda, a member of the U.S.-Japan Anti-War Network, said she wants people "to know here we (Japanese) are...concerned about this tragedy."

Okuda stated that while commemorations and demonstrations are taking place in Japan, they are rarely covered by English language press, leading to a "stereotype" of Japan as quiet, disconnected, and uncaring about the suffering involved in the attacks and aftermath.

Twenty-year U.S. resident Masako (last name withheld) said that the group wanted to protest together, rather than as scattered individuals. She described herself as a "citizen of the world,"adding that being Japanese had no relation to her attending the rally. She said she intended to learn more about the political situation in order to make responsible judgments about it.

Also attending the rally was a group of about eight Japanese Americans wore black T-shirts and carried signs which stated "Japanese Americans Supporting Human Rights For All."

Although no specifically Chinese American or Korean American groups of people were visible at the rally, a coalition called API Force said about 30 representatives from different Asian and Pacific Islander groups attended the rally under its name.

The rally was organized by a coalition called Act Now to Stop War and Racism (ANSWER), and was one of many ANSWER rallies held across the country on Saturday.

ANSWER spokesperson Bill Hackwell, a Vietnam War veteran, said that despite the polls, "we think there is a real desire for peace" among the public.

Noting that in the early years of the Vietnam War protest the turnout to rallies was low, he added, "we want people to continue to talk about this movement, spread it around...The only way to stop war is massive demonstration."

Although representatives from the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Muslim religion gave speeches, there were no noticeably visible large Arab American or Muslim groups among the protesters.

About 15 Indian Americans attended from the group Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA), according to Birginder Anant, a Sikh American. His turban removed, Anant said he was "not pleased" with the turnout of South Asians.

He assumed that "a lot of people are afraid to come out," but emphasized, "it's important for South Asian and Asian American organizations to come out and let their voices be heard...In the past we had other organizations speak for us."

Massive SF Rally held on Oct.6
Published Saturday, Oct. 6, 2001 in the Hokubei Mainichi

Amidst increasing likelihood of military retaliation against those responsible for the recent terrorist attacks, a massive anti-war rally and march was staged on September 29, 2001, at Dolores Park in San Francisco. More than 40 Japanese residents in the Bay Area joined the rally, waving Japanese language placards and indelible images of Hiroshima, urging US, Japan and other world leaders to cooperate for a peaceful means to eradicate terrorism.

The Japanese participants are part of the newly established US-Japan-NoWarNetwork, which seeks to mobilize people from Japan in the Bay Area to raise the unequivocal Japanese demand for peace internationally. Currently, Japan stands side by side with the Bush Administration, as it gears up for warfare with Afghanistan.

The massive anti-war rally was organized and sponsored by Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (A.N.S.W.E.R.), a national coalition of civil organizations and individuals seeking justice through peaceful means. The coalition also staged simultaneous rallies in Los Angeles and Washington, DC where it is headquartered.

In the nation’s capital, more than ten thousand protesters marched between rows of police officers bordering the sidewalks, and police helicopters circling the sky in close watch. The San Francisco Bay Area, which includes Berkeley and Oakland in the Eastern part of the Bay, is well-known for its high-profile anti-war movement during the Vietnam War. Since the recent terrorist attacks, the Bay Area has already seen a plethora of community responses to the imminent war, ranging from a music concert in San Francisco, a rally at UC Berkeley attended by 2,000 students, to a weekly protest demonstration at Lake Merritt in Oakland.

In the Japanese community, an ad hoc house meeting offered space for fellow Japanese to come together and discuss the recent tragic crisis and its implications in their native tongue. Thus developed the US-Japan-NoWar Network, which so far has released an anti-war statement upon Prime Minister Koizumi’s arrival in Washington on September 25, and mobilized to express Japanese solidarity for peace in the San Francisco rally this past Saturday.

Hiroshi Kashiwagi, a co-founder of the US-Japan-NoWar Network, insists "there are many people opposed to military retaliation, or at least seriously concerned about it, while condemning terrorism and taking part in our collective prayers for the victims and their families."

"Linking such people in Japan and the US who share a common desire for peace, the Network aims at elevating the peaceful solution as a viable alternative," said Mr. Kashiwagi.

The US-Japan-NoWar Network has set up the online Anti-War Resource Center at www.jprn.org to promote information exchange in Japan and the US. US-Japan-NoWar@freeml.com is a public listserve set up to facilitate active discussion in both Japanese and English fonts. Those interested in volunteering or getting involved are encouraged to contact the JPRN office at 510-891-9045, ext.48 or jprn@igc.org.

Japan Should Not Take Part in Retaliation
Published Thursday, Sep. 27, 2001 in the Hokubei Mainichi

On Sep. 11, hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers and the Pengaton, which caused many to be either dead or missing. In response, the Bush Administration has declared revenge by military means and we see that war is increasingly imminent.In association with the recent tragedies, the Japnaese Prime Minister Koizumi is to visit Washington, DC for a Summit talk with the US President.

The undersigned below are those from Japan who reside in the United States today. Since the simultaneous multiple terrorist attacks, the Japanese and American media have been reporting as if the whole world is fully supportive of vengeful military action. In this light, the upcoming visit by Koizumi to meet with Pres. Bush is said to reaffirm Japan's willingness to back the US, as if to back up the media's claim.

We, as we stand on the fundamental position to oppose war, make the following
declarations in regards to the upcoming Japan-US Summit:

1) The recent terrorist attacks that befell the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are deplorable and unacceptable; we offer the deepest condolences to the victims and their families.

2) In order to seek the full scope of the facts and the background of the recent attacks in the interest of preventing recurrence of terrorism, there needs to be an international cooperative effort that does not rely on military might -- including those of the United Nations as well as ones designated by international law. The government of Japan is called on to contribute to this end.

3) In the United States, the voices opposing revenge and military action is spreading quickly, far and wide. In Japan, the same is seen with the voices that oppose Japan's lending of support to US military action. According to the polls, most Americans called for caution; in Japan, those clearly opposed to military action were also in the majority. The governments of the Uniated States as well as Japan must respect these voices, and must refrain from employing military action.

4) It is not easy to end terrorism through non-violence. However, revenge through weapons will beget more rounds of terrorist acts, and will only ensure the continuing cycle of revenge and terrorist acts. The use of arms by the US in the past has not only prevented the global volatile tension from waning, but in fact contributed to its exacerbation, and backlash is spreading throughout the world.

Therefore, we call upon the world to engage in efforts to eradicate terrorism without the use of the armed forces. The Japanese government has no other rightful role to play in its international cooperation.

Signed,

Hiroshi Kashiwagi, Japan Pacific Rrsource Network
(US-Japan NoWar Network)
Miho Kim, Pacific Environment
(US-Japan NoWar Network)
Et.al

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