A controversial law to criminalize the planning of certain crimes that was steamrolled through the Diet early Thursday provoked large protests by opponents who say it could lead to abuse of power and curtail freedom of expression.
In interviews at the rally and across the country, supporters and opponents spoke out about the controversial conspiracy law. While some feel the law is needed to ensure safety against terrorism, others warned the hastily deliberated law has a potential impact on personal freedom.
The government claims the law is only targeted at terrorists and criminal groups, but opponents, including legal experts, counter that it is vague in defining what constitutes a terrorist group and that expanded information-gathering by police may be a slippery slope to a surveillance society.