Friday, protest against restarting Oi NPP. Press hall in National Diet was restricted

Original text from Ryusaku Tanaka Journal 09.07.2012http://tanakaryusaku.jp/2012/07/0004664

The sign says only authorized press journalists can enter. It towered up in a superior manner. In front of the press hall. Evening July 6. Photo by Ryusaku Tanaka. 

 Assuming some people have their shops in a park and they don't pay a rent, how do you feel if they close the park to visitors. The same thing is happening in National Diet. 

"1-6-5 Nagatacho, Chiyoda District, Tokyo" is a national land that is owned by House of Representatives. The 4-story press hall in the vast ground (5.649㎡) includes the offices of newspaper companies, TV stations and wire service agencies and they are not even paying a rent. I would call them bloodsuckers.  

　Friday, when public anger assembled to protest against restarting Oi NPP, these bloodsuckers showed a dictatorial attitude. They placed the sign to ban public access in front of the national land. If it was the office of House of Representative, I agree as they are the owner of the land, however, did the bloodsuckers have the right to do that? 

I went to the office to ask about it. The elder man who met me said unapologetically that they are not paying a rent. When I asked the reason why they closed the place to visitors, he said it was to avoid complication, as I had expected. "It will be closed to public on 13th as well" he said as if he were the owner. It seemed that he even didn't realize that he was a bloodsucker. 

This is the HQ of the Press Hall in National Diet that is the highest governing body, which takes up the prime land for free. Photo by Ryusaku Tanaka 

[Restrictions on news gathering activities by freelance] 

July 6, protesters met together against restarting Oi NPP. Some police officers forbade the IWJ staffs to enter the hall, as IWF is not a press, according to them, because IWF is not a member of press club. 

I was checked 3 times, however, thanks to the press identity card issued by Foreign Ministry, I managed to pass it. The main stage of protest meeting on Fridays is in front of the Press Hall in National Diet. 

Photographers find their shooting spot inside of the ground of the hall, as the streets are filled with the protesters.  I'm one of them. However,  freelance or internet media were not allowed to enter to the hall, as well as the people, so that we even couldn't use the bathroom. Police officials stood up against the front gate to check passerby. 

It's likely the police and press club share a mutual interest in preventing freelance and internet media from reporting what is going on in front of the Cabinet Office. 

As security grows increasingly strict, access to Cabinet Office may be restricted without a National Diet press identity card. Protest meetings receives not enough media coverage. Their reluctance is palpable. If freelance and internet media are excluded, protest meeting in front of Cabinet Office will be sealed in a black box.  

Courtesy : Ryusaku Tanaka