Below are photos from the recent actions against the G7 Summit in Japan from Yoshio Nakamura of AWC-Japan, an anti-war organization on the frontlines of the struggle, as well as a solidarity statement from the ANSWER Coalition read at the actions.

Anti-G7 forum was held in Osaka on May 21.

Anti-G7 march held in Tokyo on May 22, 2016

Demonstration on May 23against repression targeting leading AWC-Japan activists in Osaka in the lead-up to the  summit

Solidarity statement from the ANSWER Coalition

The ANSWER Coalition extends its full solidarity and greetings to the demonstrations taking place during the 42nd G7 summit meeting being held at Kashiko-jima Island, Ise-Shima area in Mie prefecture, Japan, May 26-27, 2016, as well as the marches taking place May 21-22 in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.

The G7 is the most exclusive club of world imperialism. These so-called world leaders attending the summit and the regimes they represent are responsible for the great crises facing the world.

They claim to fight a war on terror, but this is nothing more than an attempt to exert their hegemony over resource-rich and strategic regions of the world. Their latest wars on Syria and Iraq in the name of combating the so-called Islamic State mask the fact that it is the imperialist countries themselves that are responsible for the divide-and-conquer strategy that led to this terrorist organization's rise.

We recognize that the G7 imperialist countries seek to continue and expand their intervention in the Middle East under the guise of the “war on terror” at the same time as they continue to orient towards Asia. Since its announcement of the “Asia Pivot,” the United States has worked to pull countries in the region – including Japan, South Korea and the Philippines – together into an anti-China military alliance that also targets North Korea. They aim to use the G7 to consolidate this orientation.

Needless to say, the neo-liberal consensus will not be challenged at the summit. Nearly a decade since the outbreak of the Great Recession, global capitalism is still highly fragile, especially in the G7 countries. These governments have done all they can to pass on the burden of the crisis to working people, and have kept the big banks afloat with extraordinary policies that amount to little more than directly handing them money.

Prime Minister Abe is reveling in the spotlight as host of the detestable G7 Ise-Shima summit meeting. The ANSWER Coalition is also in solidarity with the growing movements in Japan that are challenging his government's efforts to amend the constitution and take other measures to further re-militarize the country. We condemn recent acts of repression against the progressive movement, including the raids on May 2 in Osaka. We are also outraged at the illegal raids carried out the morning of May 19 against AWC-Japan leaders, another clear attempt to stifle dissent.

We are heartened to know that there is resistance everywhere to the criminal plans for war, exploitation, plunder and oppression being carried out by the G7 governments. The ANSWER Coalition will continue to fight in the belly of the imperialist beast in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Japan, across Asia and all over the world.

Click here to view a translation of the statement into Japanese.