Japanese lawmakers have voted into law new measures to allow Japanese troops to fight abroad for the first time since the end of World War II. The vote came after tens of thousands flocked to the streets to defend Japan’s pacifist constitution. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pushed to weaken the pacifist provisions as part of a broader strategy of militarization. Opposition parties tried unsuccessfully to block the pro-military measures, which are opposed by a majority of the public. Protesters vowed to continue fighting.

Ayumi Nakamura: “Just because this law has been enacted doesn’t mean we should let it pass. We can’t just give up because it passed. After all, it was passed in the most irregular way.”