Getting Ahead of the News Cycle

Today there was a protest in Shinjuku. According to early reports, about 160 people gathered to stop traffic, speak out against war, and voice their support for the citizens of Okinawa, who have again demonstrated through elections that they don't want the Futenma military base relocated within Okinawa. There were clowns:







A quick google search for 新宿デモ (Shinjuku demo) revealed some old links from a labor newspaper announcing the protest and giving directions to the event, along with a tangentially related blog post.

I had just heard about the demonstration this afternoon in an email from a Tokyo-based group, Takae Yuntaku. (They are working to prevent a U.S. military helipad from being built in the small Okinawan village of Takae). Info about the event appeared on various blogs:
http://takae.ti-da.net/
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/hansentoteikounofesta09/

This was the sixth in a series of protests in favor of the abolition of the base. Here is some video from previous protests:



So I found out about the protest about an hour before it started. Then, as it was going on, a recent Facebook friend Tweeted out "good turnout for the protest. blocking traffic in shinjuku" or something to that effect, and it showed up on his facebook feed. Finally, I wanted to hear about the event. I turned on 素人の乱 (Shiroto no Ran)'s weekly webcast, and there was some mention of it, but mostly talking about AKB48 and how none of the girls are their type. So I checked another friend's facebook page who is active in independent media, and sure enough, he had updated it with some news and pictures from the protest.

I had heard about Twitter and other social networking sites being used to get ahead of the news cycle, but now this is the first time I've experienced it. Maybe it also has to do with the fact that there probably won't be much coverage of this event in the mainstream press. But amongst interested parties the news has come out quickly. From this experience, I can see how these social networks can give protesters a better sense of connection. Even though I couldn't make it to the protest, I feel better informed about and connected with those who did.

Where do I stand on the Futenma issue? Indeed it's complicated, but ultimately I must object to the indirect militarization of Japan. In Japan's constitution, Article 9 prohibits a standing military, although Japan maintains its own self-defense force. In effect, the U.S. military presence in Okinawa and throughout Japan amounts to a standing military. As tensions between North and South Korea escalate, the time is right for diplomacy, not war games. I find it difficult to speak out on this issue, especially since I know several people in the military. But as an American, I can't stand by in good conscience and allow the U.S. to become involved in an avoidable war with North Korea in the way of Iraq and Afghanistan. I didn't make it to the protest this week, but I will get the word out and try to make the next one.

12/7 update - video from the event. Thanks OurPlanet-TV!