Hundreds demand cancellation of Japanese ex-leader’s funeral

By YURI KAGEYAMA
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Several hundred protesters have demanded the cancellation of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s state funeral as they shouted slogans and waved banners in a Tokyo park. One demonstrator said Abe’s policies supported war and he feared a step back to militarism. Abe, who was assassinated in July, was one of Japan’s most divisive postwar leaders because of his revisionist view of wartime history, support for a stronger military, and what critics call an autocratic approach and cronyism. Opposition to the state funeral has also grown because of politicians’ close ties to the Unification Church, which the suspect reportedly said ruined his life. The funeral is scheduled for Tuesday.