Thousands protest against Japanese gov't-backed security bills

While the government-sponsored bills related to Japans national security are being debated at an upper house special committee in the Diet, thousands of protesters opposing the legislation demonstrate outside the parliament in the heart of nation's capital on September 14, 2015. [Photo/IC]

TOKYO -- Some 45,000 Japanese protestors rallied in front of the country's parliament building in downtown Tokyo late Monday against the government-backed security bills, trying to stop a possible passage of the controversial legislation in the Diet's upper house this week.

The opponents of the security bills came across Japan, including opposition parties' lawmakers, demanded Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's quit from the post and were against the possible forced passage of the bills in the parliament's upper house.

The legislation, which was rammed through the lower house in July, is under debate in the upper house and the ruling bloc led by Abe eyed to pass the legislation within this week.

The bills, if enacted, will give the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) greater role worldwide for the first time since the end of World War II.

Leaders of Japan's major opposition parties also participated in the demonstration and emphasized in their speeches the unconstitutionality of the bills. About 90 percent of the country' s constitutional experts see the legislation violating the country 's war-renouncing Constitution.

The Japanese supreme law bans the SDF from engaging in armed conflicts overseas, but the new security bills will allow the SDF to exercise the right to collective self-defense forces, meaning the SDF would engaged in battles abroad even if Japan itself is not attacked.

Continuous protests against the bills are held across Japan since the Abe's administration rammed the bills through the lower house. Some 120,000 gathered together in front of the Diet building last month, demanding the revoking of the controversial bills.