Monday, May 21, 2012

(UPDATED) Just In: Kitakyushu Residents Physically Block the Delivery of Disaster Debris to the Waste Collection Depot

Headline only in Oita Press (5/22/2012):

北九州市の廃棄物集積地に宮城県石巻市のがれきを積んだトラックが入るのを、反対する市民が阻止。

Residents who oppose the acceptance of disaster debris to Kitakyushu City blocked the trucks that carry the debris from Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture to the Waste Collection Depot in the city.


Apparently, all it took was about 30 residents.

And the police to the rescue of the trucks. (Photo from Mr. Kenichi Hirose, who seems to be right there at the location.)


Yasumi Iwakami's IWJ has a mobile live feed:



Live streaming by Ustream

They are saying 20-plus trucks are still waiting across the channel.

Snippets from the live video:

A reporter from Kahoku Shinpo (local newspaper in Fukushima): "As long as the air radiation levels are the same, it will be OK." (He is immediately lectured by the IWJ staff.)

A middle-aged woman to a city employee: "It is the matter of how you live as a human being. I want you to think as a parent, as a human being. Are you going to be on the side of human beings, or on the side of your position in the government?"

It looks the city employees, guards, and the media people are inside the gate. Protesters and the truck are outside the gate.


15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Watch the world media suppress this, as with everything else that matters. Whenever I check the mainstream news, all I see are racist/sexist hit pieces and a thousand-and-one articles about homosexuality. Humans are easily distracted and ridiculously immature.

It'll be interesting to see how the media reacts when we've crossed the line of no return and the damage becomes undeniably evident. "We had no idea", or some such nonsense. Maybe they'll do the usual and blame Al Qaeda, Asians or gays.

Anonymous said...

More here

http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/item/303608

Of course it only took 30 people. Did you think they'd run them down?

Anonymous said...

>Of course it only took 30 people. Did you think they'd run them down?

In fact I did.

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't be surprised if they did.

Anonymous said...

These people are Japanese heros and heroines. THANK YOU for fighting for all of the people of Japan.

It is clear that these Japanese protesters are committed to this cause. They should be commended and supported in any way possible.

It is also to their credit that they have restrained themselves to an action that merely blocks the trucks. Anywhere outside Japan, such dedicated people would be buying butane lighters and driving themselves to the debris storage sites that this stuff is coming from.

I hope the government will react positively to their peaceful protest and stop this debris burning experiment NOW. The government should stop their attempts to manipulate public opinion. They should stop belittling and bullying the reasonable voices out there that are saying this practice might not be safe. There are enough competent experts saying that low dose radiation is dangerous that there is no scientific consensus. There is no societal agreement to burn this radioactive debris is far flung regions of Japan. The government should acknowledge this and stand down.

Anonymous said...

Well, sort of OT.

I would like to encourage 'people power' to also stop nuclear waste being stored next to a reactor in Australia. This is another disaster waiting to happen.

Because there is nowhere in Australia to store nuclear waste they are preparing to 'temporarily' store it in a suburb of Sydney where children live and go to school.

Please take just a moment to sign the petition at the link below.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-to-nuclear-waste-stored-at-lucas-heights/sign.html#se

Anonymous said...

If this happens every time they try to deliver the debris they will have to give in to public opinion.

Way to go, Japan.

STeVe the JeW said...

good for them.

Anonymous said...

> If this happens every time they try to deliver the debris they will have to give in to public opinion.

Stop dreaming. They will have a court order and have police disperse the protesters, with force if necessary.

Do you really think it'll be that easy?

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU for fighting for all the people of the world.

Hope the police don't get nasty, after all it is a peaceful demonstration.

Well done.

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

City officials are now warning the protesters that the police will take care of things.

Anonymous said...

The people, united, will never be defeated.

Stand strong Japan.

Anonymous said...

"In fact I did."

"Wouldn't be surprised if they did."

Take off the tin foil hats and think again.

Anonymous said...

@anon 1am, do you happen to be from Japan Focus?

Anonymous said...

Sadly the truck and contents are or can be highly radioactive. So let the police stand very very close and protect the trucks. The protesters are heros..but anyone pregnant should not get near the vehicles.

Post a Comment