Protesters Demonstrate Against Plans To Destroy Old 1964 Tokyo Olympic Stadium

A group of protesters "marched around Tokyo's National Stadium on Saturday, demonstrating against plans to destroy the 56-year-old facility and replace it with a colossal, futuristic structure for the 2020 Summer Olympics," according to the AP. About 500 protesters "took part in the demonstration while carrying signs that read 'We want a compact and economical Olympics' and 'Reverse the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.'" The proposed 80,000-seat stadium, designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, "is to be the 2020 centerpiece but critics say the design is too big, too costly and clashes with Tokyo's urban planning." Prominent architects and other opponents "are petitioning the government to instead upgrade the existing 48,000-seat stadium that hosted the 1964 Olympics" (AP, 7/5).