Pro-Palestine protests in Japan demand divestment from Israel

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather to hold the ‘Intifada March’ to protest Israeli attacks on Gaza in Tokyo, Japan on May 11, 2024. [Ahmet Furkan Mercan/Anadolu via Getty Images]

Protesters in Tokyo gathered outside Japan’s Ministry of Defence on Friday, demanding an end to the import of Israeli-made attack drones, Anadolu Agency reports.

The demonstration, organised by the “Network Against the Arms Trade (NAJAT)”, called on the Ministry to stop purchasing drones from Israeli companies, labelled as “death merchants” by the actions.

In a post on X, a NAJAT representative urged the Ministry to heed the public’s call and said: “Ministry of Defence should be ashamed.”

Separately, an online petition organised by a group called “Citizens Unity With Palestine” called on Kawasaki Heavy Industries to immediately cancel its contract with Israel Aerospace Industries and stop importing and selling attack drones. The petition has already gained 21,000 signatures.

Previously, similar divestment protests took place in several countries, including Australia, the UK and the US, with some of them proving successful such as Australia’s Melbourne University’s decision about full disclosure of all weapons manufacturers amid calls for divestment from Israel.

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