Anti-G8 protest in Tokyo

People turned out in Tokyo yesterday to protest the upcoming G8 summit:

The protests, which have become a fixture at Group of Eight summits, came as Japan tightened security ahead of this year’s July 7-9 gathering in Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Two separate rallies in the nation’s capital gathered over 1,000 people, including anti-capitalists, labour union members and protesters from abroad, such as Spain and South Korea.

Security was heavy with hundreds of anti-riot police guarding the streets as protesters walked down Tokyo’s central shopping districts, carrying signs proclaiming various agendas such as “shut down G8 summit” and “G8=hunger”.

Some protesters scuffled with the police. Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi said two people were arrested. Police could not confirm the report.

“Issues like environmental destruction and poverty in Africa, these are all caused by the G8 governments,” said Yu Ando, a 31-year-old working for a municipal government in western Japan.

“I can’t stand that they are proclaiming to solve these issues.”