2010 On 13 November, the ‘No More! APEC Yokohama People’s Forum’ organised a street action and demonstration against the Yokohama APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference) APEC is a conference about war, nuclear power, neoliberalism, exclusion and surveillance.
At 1.30pm, the area in front of JR Sakuragi-cho Station overlooking the APEC venue Pacifico Yokohama was practically ‘occupied’ in the form of a ‘street appeal’. This appeal was joined by appeals from international participants and NGOs, as well as singing by migrant workers.
Afterwards, 500 people demonstrated to coincide with the conference, calling for “No APEC!” “No war conference”, “Don’t export nuclear power plants” and “No to the destruction of agriculture by participation in the TPP”, 500 people demonstrated. Starting from Sakuragi-cho Station, they walked from downtown Kannai to the off-limits area around Pacifico, the APEC venue. (report ‘Rainbows and Monsoons‘)
The Japanese Government has declared the area near the APEC venue Pacifico off-limits and designated an approximately 1km off-limits zone as a ‘Quiet Preservation Act’ zone, where the use of loudspeakers is prohibited by order of Foreign Minister Maehara.
However, even without loudspeakers, calls of “No APEC! The demonstration in front of the Pacifico became the most exciting moment of the protest. The 500 people who had gathered there broke through the tight security and shouted “No! The people’s fighting voice cannot be banned.
□ ‘No APEC!’ Yokohama People’s Forum
□ NO!APEC TV
□ Cameyon Photo Gallery
□ Rainbows and Monsoons