Lawyer submitted a request at Tokyo metropolitan police department to ameliorate the excess control "Blocking the sidewalk" at the friday meetings

Original text from Ryusaku Tanaka Journal 02.08.2012http://tanakaryusaku.jp/2012/08/0004815

A man was stopped by police because he tried to walk towards PM's Office from the hall of House of Representatives. The police use Article 2 of the Police Act and even controls citizens walking in public street. Because of the response of the police which is equal to an abuse, the man asked me to take a photo of the scene = July 29 at Nagata-chô Photo by Ryusaku Tanaka

People who ever went around the PM's Office ftp participate to the friday meetings to protest against the restart of nuclear power plants must have flinched to the excessive police controls.

The control of the subway exit is just the beginning. Although the signal is blue police say "You can't cross this crossroads", "It's impassable from here"… Even when we stay on the sidewalk under police control, we are surrounded by iron fences. The police takes many photos. This looks like a precaution restraint. It's impossible to think that they treat us as humans. 

On August 2, voluntary lawyers visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Police department to ask for an amelioration of excessive police controls during friday meetings. The excessive police controls says "the abuse of regulatory power established by The Police Act Article 2 violates its article section 2 and it insigne the freedom of expression ensured by The Article 21 of The Constitution of Japan". In the section 1 of  Article 2 of The Police Act it is said "Police's duty is to protect individual lives and bodies and fortunes crime precaution, the suppression and investigation, arrest the suspects, control the traffic and the other control to protect the public safety and order". But in section 2, it is also said that "the police can't abuse the regulatory power to interfere the right and freedom of individuals which are ensured by the Constitution of Japan ".

I oftenly see a scene where the police is blocking citizens on the sidewalk from the second hall of the House of Representatives to the PM's Office. I asked to a police officer: "which law let you the right to do such a thing?", he answered me: "It's the article 2 of the Police Act". Next time i want to say "In the second section, it is said that it's forbidden to abuse the regulatory power".

The pressure from the backward, the participants can't help going out from the picket line of police = July 29 around 7:40pm in front of the National Diet building. Photo by Miyako Suwa

At the meeting to surround the National Diet Building on July 29, 2 people were arrested for obstructing executive officers from performing their duty. According to Miyako Suwa who is the percipient witness of the moment of detention, the protesters poured out on the roadway. The police officers set up the picket in front of the National Diet building. People who were on the front (close to the national diet building) were pushed by the pressure from the backward and went into the police's picket line. They were crammed and couldn't move. There was nothing strange in the fact that certain persons find themselves in lack of oxygen. A man passed the picket line. He must have suffered. He was arrested by the police. 

The coverage control against freelance journalists became harder as well. On the sidewalk around the PM's Office it became normal that uniformed police officers stop us. "You are not a member of the Kisha Club (Japanese reporter's club), you can't pass here". If we try to go forward, it's obvious that we will be arrested for obstructing executive officers from performing their duty. 

If a journalist of the Kisha Club goes through the police picket, he won't be accused. If a freelance journalist is pushed from the backwards through the picket, he will be arrested for sure. 

The voluntary lawyers who visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department demanded "to make the roadway in front of the PM's Office and in front of National Diet Building a vehicle-free area between 6pm to 8pm on Fridays". If the street was without vehicle, there would be no control and no arrest. It must be impossible as there is some people who don't want many citizens to gather at the center of power.

Courtesy : Ryusaku Tanaka & Miyako Suwa