Tens of thousands of people joined a demonstration outside Japan’s parliament Saturday, in a sign of growing public anger over cronyism scandals engulfing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Tens of thousands of people joined a demonstration outside Japan’s parliament Saturday, in a sign of growing public anger over cronyism scandals engulfing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Organizers say about 50,000 people attended this weekend’s rally in Tokyo — the biggest in nearly three years. Protesters, many young, held up signs calling Abe a “liar” and seeking his resignation.
The prime minister has been forced in parliament to deny his involvement in two controversies over land deals to close associates. An alleged cover-up over the activity of Japanese troops during the Iraq war is also casting a cloud over his government. A spokesman for Abe’s office didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The scandals have pushed Abe’s approval ratings toward all-time lows, raising questions about his ability to win the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership election in September.
