A protest rally against the dispatch of Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) troops to South Sudan for U.N. peacekeeping operations and security legislation was held in front of the Diet building on the night of Feb. 10 after it came to light that a GSDF unit used the term "combat" repeatedly in its daily reports to describe the situation in the area where it's members were stationed.
The rally, organized by those involved in anti-security legislation movements, was announced on short notice via social media. Nevertheless, many protesters, including opposition lawmakers, turned up at the event. They chanted, "Protect the lives of Self-Defense Force (SDF) members!" and called for the resignations of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Defense Minister Tomomi Inada. Protesters held signs that read, "This is not a 'conflict,' it's 'combat,'" and "Nobody wants war."
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