Thousands protested outside the parliament building in Tokyo against Japan’s controversial ‘war legislation’ that allows the military to take part in armed conflicts oversees. The governments new security law marks a historic departure from Japan’s decades-long pacifism that endured since the end of ww2. Common Dreams reports: The controversial “war legislation,” a package of bills that passed parliament in September and took effect on Tuesday, reinterprets Article 9 of the country’s Constitution, which renounced war as a means to settle international disputes following World War II. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pushed for the revisions which “expand the activities of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) overseas, even in situations when Japan is not under direct attack,”The Asahi Shimbun reports. “The laws call for the SDF to provide greater support to the militaries of the United States and other nations anywhere in the world.” Tens of thousands of people protested against the measure last fall and on Tuesday an estimated 37,000 demonstrated against Japan’s expanded militarism. According to The Mainichi, demonstrations were held in 35 cities across Japan. In Tokyo, protesters chanted and held signs reading ‘oust the Abe administration’ and ‘we don’t condone war,’ RT reported. Over the weekend, hundreds of high [...]