INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT JAPAN:

JAPANESE ANARCHISTS CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST AGAINST NUCLEAR POWER:

Since the recent triple disaster in Japan Japanese anarchists have been active in both relief work and in furthering protest against the continued reliance on nuclear power. This April 10 th they are planning a major demonstration in Tokyo, and they hope others across the world will join them. Here is the appeal from the Asian Anarchist Network. Donations solicited at the demo will be forwarded to groups active in relief work in the affected area. The following has been slightly edited for English grammar and spelling.

NPNPNPNPNP

APRIL 10th "NO MORE FUKUSHIMA":

GLOBAL CALL FOR SOLIDARITY ACTIONS AGAINST NUCLEAR PLANTS‏

Dear all,

We are planning an anti-nuke demo in Koenji,Tokyo on 10th April, and we'd like to make it the day of global action. I hope you can contribute to this solidarity action. Actions are run up. More later. in solidarity, -------------------------

APRIL 10th "NO MORE FUKUSHIMA": GLOBAL CALL FOR SOLIDARITY ACTIONS AGAINST NUCLEAR PLANTS

We took a big risk depending on nuclear energy in exchange for creating "unlimited" prosperity. Now we are facing the dangers we assumed. Human beings seem to make wrong choices. We have to make sure. No more nuclear plants.

We individuals living in Tokyo are planning a demonstration against nuclear plants on the 10th of April in Koenji, Tokyo. We also would like to call for global solidarity actions on the same day. We believe that the global response and action will be a significant support for all disaster victims and movements against the current nuclear policy in general.

CALL FOR ACTION:

This is a global call for actions on 10th April. We sincerely hope that you will take any actions together on that day. Work with us in solidarity against all nuclear plants worldwide!

PLEASE SEND US:

Plans for actions and Records of actions.

Please send us the texts, documents, footage, images and/or anything else relating to your actions to: http://410nonuke.tumblr.com/

in strong solidarity,

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT JAPAN:

JAPANESE ANARCHISTS ASK FOR HELP IN DISASTER RELIEF:

Since the earthquake and tsunami of March 11 the Sendai Yomawari Group of anarchists has shifted its focus to disaster relief in their city. Sendai City is located on the northeastern coast of the main Japanese island of Honshu, very near to the epicentre of the quake. It suffered major damage from both the earthquake and the resulting tsunami which apparently reached 8km inland in parts of the area. About 1 million people live(d) in Sendai which is located north of the ongoing Fukushima nuclear disaster. The following is an appeal transmitted via the Asian Anarchist Network for assistance in the humanitarian work of the Yomawari group.

@@@@@@@@@@ [AAN-Global] call for donation for people affected in the earthquake (esp. Sendai region)‏ Hi friends, We are surviving in Tokyo. While deeply concerning about Nukes radiation accident, We would like to introduce one way of overseas friends to help out the earthquake affected people. The Sendai Yomawari Group has been working on homeless people in Sendai City since 2000. In this time of emergency, they extend their daily activity for the earthquake affected people. Some Tokyo and Osaka comrades are joining them with tons relief materials. We need more materials to supply people. Please support Sendai Yomawari Group with your donation. In solidarity, Risa For Circulation ==================

Call for Donations 18th March 2011 http://www.yomawari.net/donation-2/ We appeal for donation: *Postal order: - Account: 02240-5-66005 - Name: Sendai Yomawari Group （仙台夜まわりグループ） *Bank transfer (1): Bank and blanch: 77 Bank (0125) Hachihonmatsu Blanch (275) Street Address of the Bank: 1-15-25, Hachihon-Matsu, Taihaku-Ku, 982-0001 Sendai-City Miyagi-Prefecture BIC (SWIFT): BOSSJPJT Account number: 5214271 (Saving Account) Name: Tokutei Hieiri Katudou Houjin Sendai Yomawari Group Street Address of Sendai Yomawari Group: 17-25, Bunka-Machi, Taihaku-Ku 984-0815 Sendai-City, Miyagi-Prefecture *Bank transfer (2): - Bank and blanch: Miyagi Daiichi Shin’yo Kinko Hosyun’in Mae Blanch - Account number: 1014823 (Saving Account) - Tokutei Hieiri Katudou Houjin Sendai Yomawari Group （特定非営利活動法人仙台夜まわりグループ） *PayPal account yomawari@medialogo.com

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT JAPAN:

THE 2011 JAPANESE ANARCHIST CALENDAR:

Well, this would have been the greatest 'novelty gift' for the holidays that one could think of, but given the "efficiency" of our statist postal system if you ordered it today it would be unlikely to arrive anywhere outside of Japan before Ukrainian Christmas. And probably well after that. Something could be said here about the "need" for a government.

In any case here's a neat offer from the Japanese comrades at CIRA-Japana (the Japanese branch of the international anarchist documentation network). I'm thinking of ordering one myself.

@@@@@@@@@@@@

CIRA-Japana 2011 Calendar for fundraiser‏

Anarchists Who Lived Through the War: Vol. 1

CIRA-JAPANA presents the 2011 calendar with the theme of anarchists who lived through the War (WWII).
Among anarchist collectives in the post-war Japan, “Japan Anarchist Federation” whose members had mostly been active since the pre-war era and “Japan Anarchist Club” which diverged from the former were prominent ones. You will see old and rare pictures of eleven anarchists and one anarchist newspaper for each month. Those who are featured in the calendar are such as Ishikawa Sansirô, Iwasa Sakutarô, and Kondô Kenji, who played an important role along these collectives. It also highlights Yagi Akiko who pursued her freedom.
A4 size, 28 pages, with a time-line chart, English summary for each month.
Price: 1500 yen include postage.
Purchase at: http://irregularrhythmasylum.blogspot.com/2010/12/cira-japana-calendar-2011-out-now.html

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-JAPAN:

2010 JAPANESE ANARCHIST CALENDER AVAILABLE:

Hey, here's another item that proves that Molly isn't only focused on the cold and frozen North. The following came Molly's way via the Asian Anarchist Network. It's originally from the Japanese CIRA (the Japanese section of the international centres for anarchist documentation and research)via the Irregular Rythym Asylum Blog. I hope that that will be enough references for anyone. In any case the following calender highlights an attempt to assassinate the Japanese emperor earlier in the 20th century. Ah- every anarchist's dream, "to assassinate the emperor" and thereby "make a difference" with a simple act without complications. It's too bad that reality rarely is so simple. In any case here is the advert for the calender.

@@@@@@@@@@

CIRA Japana 2010 Calendar Out Now!‏
Hello comrades, Please check this out.

Best,

cat bloc

CIRA Japana <http://www.cira-japana.net/> 2010 Calendar Out Now!

CIRA Japana <http://www.cira-japana.net/> presents the 2010 calendar with a theme of the 100th anniversary of the High Treason Incident <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Treason_Incident>.

The High Treason Incident

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Treason_Incident>, also known as the Kotoku Incident, was a socialist-anarchist plot to assassinate the Japanese Emperor Meiji in 1910, leading to a mass arrest of leftists, and the execution of 12 alleged conspirators in 1911.

To commemorate the people’s struggle against the Emperor in the early 20th century, this calendar highlights the key figures of the High Treason Incident <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Treason_Incident> and international campaigns of prison solidarity for the victims. You will see valuable pictures of activists in the early socialist movements in Japan with English thumbnail for each month.

Here are the topics of the months:

[Jan] Shusui Kotoku: a prominent political thinker and anarchist

[Feb] Sugako Kannno: a feminist journalist and anarchist

[Mar] Gudou Uchiyama: an anarchist monk and his secret publication

[Apr] The High Treason Album/International prison solidarity

[May] The Commoners’ Society (Heimin-sha): the centre for socialists in the early days[Jun] A protest against fare rises of the Tokyo City railways[Jul] Suppression of free speech against the Commoners’ Daily[Aug] The Commoners’ Summer Seminar[Sep] The pollution in the Ashio copper mine and socialists[Oct] The post-war campaign on the restoration of honour of victims[Nov] Other High Treason Incidents: Daisuke Nanba, Park Yeol and Fumiko Kaneko, and Lee Bong-chang[Dec] Movements against the emperor system in the post-war Buy your copy now! 1200 yen plus postage.You can order by Paypal:http://irregularrhythmasylum.blogspot.com/2009/12/100-cira-japana-2010-calendar.html If you want more than 2 copies, let us know by email: irregular@sanpal.co.jp

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-JAPAN:

HANDS OFF MIYASHITA PARK:

The following is from the Asian Anarchist Network, and it features a melodrama with a innocent park tied to the tracks and an evil corporate villain by the name of NIKE trying to get the deed to the ranch- or at least the park in this case. One of the few green spaces in the Shibuya Ward of Tokyo Miyashita Park was opened in 1930. In 1964 the park suffered its first indignity because of the Tokyo Olympics as it was "redesigned". The Shibuya River was converted into an underground drainage conduit, and a parking lot was built where the park had been. The park was then reconstructed on soil dumped back onto the parking lot. Strange but true. Now Nike wants to buy out the park, and use it as an advertising gimmick. Here's the story.

@@@@@@@@@@

Smash Nike:‏
SMASH NIKE

Urgent call for action, protest and solidarity.

Smash Nike Japan's plan to take over and privatise a public park in central Tokyo (Miyashita Park in Shibuya ward) by purchasing "naming rights" from the local Shibuya Ward Council and building paid sports facilities including a skate park, rock climbing wall, etc.. Shibuya Ward is estimated to receive approximately 150 million yen over 5 years, and NIKE, the sporting giant infamous for its exploitation in South East Asian sweatshops, will gain yet another prime location for advertisement.

...And the homeless who have no where else to go, are again in danger of losing homes and basic living rights.

Just stop it.

Time is pressing.

The DEADline is September 1.

The "NIKE Park" project was officially announced on June 11 at the Shibuya Ward Council meeting. Construction is planned to start on September 1. Only one month ahead.

Your actions, protests and solidarity will be most helpful and effective in making Japanese society become aware and raise questions to this scandalous project called "NIKE Park". Please send in your action footage, reports and solidarity comments, etc., to: minnanokouenn@gmail.com .

Today, on July 31, a protest action in front of the NIKE Japan headquarters in Tokyo will be held. And of course, more to come.

In solidarity.

Read and see more:

http://minnanokouenn.blogspot.com/

http://nikepolitics.org/

"NoG8 2009 / Keep It Miyashita Park (Tokyo)"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V_FIp1hIfE

"Second Sin / The social cleansing of the homeless in Shibuya, Tokyo"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZJTkhdeZEM

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT/ANTI-MILITARISM-JAPAN:

ANARCHIST PROTEST IN HIROSHIMA:

Like many years before anarchists in japan will protest once more in the city of Hiroshima. They are protesting not just against the historical use of atomic weaponry against this city by the USA but also against its long connection with militarism, both in the past and in the present. As has always been the case the anarchists are the only consistent opponents of militarism in all its forms. The following is the story from the Asian Anarchist Network. It has been edited, as best I can, for English grammar.

@@@@@@@@@@
@narchy in Hiroshima‏
Comrades & Friends;

This year, a part of anarchists living in the Japanese islands will be in front of Motoyasu-bridge, Hiroshima City. For over 20 years, a part of the militant anarchists living in the Japanese islands have done fierce agit-proping against the faked "peace", and have fierce brame (???"-Molly) about the faked "peace city". Hiroshima City is a city bombing by an a-bomb of the U$A. However, the city has also been an important military headquarters since the early 20 century, and near the city, there are 2 important navy base of Japan (Kure/Edajima Japanese navy base) and the U$ marine corp (Iwakuni City). From these bases, they have departed to the terrible warfare in Afghanistan/Iraq for over 19 years.

Anyway, at 8:15am on this morning, we will shout to the prime minister asou/mayor of Hiroshima City about fake peace in front of "Heiwa park=(peace park)" with our black flags. Thanx.

In struggle against faked peace.(rebel_JILL/ a day laborer)

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-JAPAN:

SOLIDARITY WITH THE STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF RYUKYUS:

The following story and appeal is from the Asian Anarchist Network.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Statement of Occupation from Okinawa:‏
From:
The Statement of Occupation, March 9, 2009

The authorities at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, have decided to lay off its adjunct language faculty members and massively reduce the number of foreign language courses without fully disclosing why such policies were necessary. Alarmed by the situation, we, the students, have demanded direct negotiations with the university officials twice in the past. But the university dismissed our first demand through writing, and decided to ignore our second request. The university officials thus deliberately failed to create a democratic forum where the students and they could openly discuss the issues and seek possible solutions.

We, the students of the university, will start occupying our campus. As the students who have studied justice, freedom, human rights, and resistance and have been trying to apply them to real life conditions, we question and resist the anti-democratic actions taken by the university authorities.

The aim of this sit-in is to create a situation in which the university authorities must genuinely acknowledge the flawed and problematic nature of its so-called "new language curriculum." If the university still exists for us, the students (as stipulated in its Mission Statement), then the current situation in which it refuses to consider our concerns not only needs to be rigorously critiqued but must be radically changed.

This situation is not the sole concern of the students and adjunct faculty members at the University of the Ryukyus. While the occupation of campus began as a critical response to the neoliberalization of our university and the attendant impoverishment of our educational program, it also aims to shed light upon other related issues such as the breakdown of our"autonomous" university system, crisis of educational system within the Okinawa Prefecture at large, and the issue of unemployment among the residents of Okinawa.

Based upon these conditions and reasons, we demand the officials at the University of the Ryukyus to:

1) Repeal the so-called "new language curriculum."

2) Hold a public meeting about the "new curriculum" that is open to all members of the society.

3) Dismiss president TERUO IWAMASA, and vice presidents KEISUKE TAIRA and RISHUN SHINZATO.

4) Allow the student representatives to participate, speak, and vote at the Board of Trustees' meetings.

5) Establish the democratic election system to appoint president and all board members.

6) Ensure all the rights of the students involved in the occupation and not impose any punitive measure on them.

This occupation is a protest against the university authorities' irresponsible decision to neoliberalize our university that has rather foolishly foregone its commitment to public education and caused the impoverishment of curriculum. This occupation is also a protest against the university officials who, with their authoritarian mindset, never even thought about offering adequate explanations to the students or inviting them into the decision-making process. We, the students, strongly condemn the university's dismissal of the students' voices and will work to reclaim the student autonomy on our own campus.

Finally, we declare our solidarity with all the others who have been actively working and sincerely hoping to abolish the new curriculum. We act with a hope that the University of the Ryukyus, along with all other universities, will reclaim its status as a "university" in the true sense of the word.

March 9th 2009

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

THE APPEAL:

The following is the appeal from the students at this University.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Send your message to

loudaisei@gmail.com

http://loudaisei.seesaa.net/

Please Support the Student Sit-in at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa March 9, 2009:

The authorities at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan,have decided to lay off its adjunct language faculty members and massively reduce the number of foreign language courses without fully disclosing why such policies were necessary. Alarmed by the situation, we, the students, have demanded direct negotiations with the university officials twice in the past. But the university dismissed our first demand through writing, and did not even respond to our second request. The university officials thus repeatedly failed to create a democratic forum where they and the students could openly discuss the issues and seek possible solutions.

As the students who have studied justice, freedom, human rights, and resistance and have been actively applying them to real life conditions, we decided to occupy our campus and voice our resistance against these undemocratically chosen, unforgivable policies. The sit-in has been an important method of self-determination that has been inventively practiced and carefully passed down by the generations of people here in Okinawa in their post-WWII struggles. the sit-in has taken roots in Okinawa because it has allowed the people to directly create a space in which they could openly speak about what a better future meant for each of them when they were living amidst the presence of massive military forces. We thus urge the university to abolish the so-called "new language curriculum" by learning from and drawing upon the method of the resistance historically developed here in Okinawa: sit-in.

The current sit-in aims to create a situation in which the university authorities must genuinely acknowledge the flawed and problematic nature of its so-called "new language curriculum." If the university still exists for us, (as stipulated in its Mission Statement), then we, the students, need to not only critique but change the current critical situation in which our own university does not even acknowledge the concerns and demands of its students.

This situation is not the sole concern of the students and adjunct faculty members at the University of the Ryukyus. While the occupation of campus began as a critical response to the neoliberalization of our university and the attendant impoverishment of our educational program, our sit-in also aims to problematize other related issues such as the breakdown of our "autonomous" university system, the crisis of the educational system within the Okinawa Prefecture at large, and unemployment among the residents of Okinawa.

"The new curriculum" has no legitimate basis to justify itself and benefits no one on campus and in the society, as has been made evident by now at various meetings and through media reports. But it takes much courage for us, the students, to express our demand to abolish"the new curriculum" on the campus of the University of the Ryukyus where all types of harassment take place on a regular basis. To add to this, most tenured faculty members remain silent until today. This is why we sincerely ask for your help because it is difficult to create "the common"or the communal space in our situation now.

Please join our fight to abolish "the new language curriculum." We welcome your participation through various means available: participation in our sit-in, donation, media coverage, and so on. Your support and participation is much appreciated.

Concerned Undergraduate Students at the University of the Ryukyus

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-JAPAN/SOUTH KOREA:

SEND GREETINGS TO EAST ASIAN ANTI-MILITARISTS:

The following request comes via the Asian Anarchist Network and concerns a forum on anti-militarism soon to be held in Japan. It has been slightly edited for English grammar.

..............................

[AAN-Global] call for your message to the forum on abolition of military South Korea and Japan‏:
Dear international activists,

I was asked to send out this message.

many thanks,

Catbloc

SEND YOUR MESSAGE for the FORUM on ABOLITION of the MILITARY in SOUTH KOREA and JAPAN

"The military can be abolished if South Korea, Japan and USA do it together."

Kang We-suck (South Korean draft dodger)

A Japanese collective PANDA (Peace and No Draft Alliance) is inviting a South Korean draft-dodger Kang We-suck for the forum on "Abolition of the military: Its possibility in Japan and South Korea."

PANDA calls out to anti-war/anti-military activists around the world to send your solidarity messages to support the forum held on 13th December in Tokyo. We would like to share your messages with participants.

In this forum, PANDA aims at stimulating dialogue towards the abolition of the military through grassroots movements and thoughts in two societies (and beyond). We will have two speakers: Kang, fighting for abolition of the military in South Korea, and Sono, a young Japanese activist who is working against the state's attack on the pacifist Constitution and is also taking part in the upsurge of precariate union movements.

Send your message to

LISK07@gmail.com

*No later than 10th December..(Japan Standard Time)

Who is Kang We-suck?

Kang has committed himself to various protests since his high school years when he went on a hunger strike against the compulsory curriculum on religion. Since coming of conscription age, he is currently working on against the draft and the military. Most recently, he disrupted the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of South Korean Army by running into the tank pageant completely naked.

His action stirred up a controversy in the South Korean society:

* What can we do if North Korea attacks us?

* How could we deal with the former-coloniser Japan's militarisation tendency?

* How could we carry out the responsibility of defending our land?

About PANDA

In August 2007, having encountered with South Korean students who opposed the military draft system, PANDA organised the first workshop where a person who had just completed the conscription term told a story of bullying and physical punishment in the military.

In April 2008, we had another workshop in which two draft dodgers who had ended up in prison due to their evasion and their Korean supporters shared their experiences. We have continued in networking grassroots anti-military movements between Japan and South Korea so as to set the third time workshop in December.

Website

http://panda1panda2.web.fc2.com/

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-JAPAN:

ARRESTED ANARCHISTS FREED:

..............................

The three Japanese anarchists arrested during a "Reality Tour" to see the mega-mansion of the Japanese PM(see previous items here at Molly's Blog) are now free after 11 days detention. Here is the notice from the Asian Anarchist Network.

.......................

Hi there,

The three were freed from the 11-days detention just an hour ago.

Millions thanks for your support and action.

love and solidarity,

catbloc

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-JAPAN:

MORE ON THE ARRESTS IN JAPAN:


Here, from the Asian Anarchist Network, is more on the recent arrests in Japan, and what you can do in solidarity.

........................
[AAN-Global] 3 Arrested on the Way to the PM's 62 Million‏ House:
Hi there,



Let me add up some useful contact for the Shibuya arrestees solidarity. What you can do for helping out the release of the three.
*Send your support message to the jail solidarity collective; asouq@sanpal.co.jp
*Tel or fax to the police station where the three comrades are in custody.
Note: Each are held in different police stations. I think it would be good to talk to the reception in simple and plain English in order not to get them hang up the line.
++Himonya police station
TEL: +81 3-3794-0110
FAX: +81 3-3794-0900
Say,Free Himonya[he-mon-ya] ichi-go.
++Harajiku police station
TEL: +81 3-3408-0110
FAX: +81 3-3408-2270
Say,Free Harajiku nana-go.
Shibuya police station
TEL: +81 3-3498-0110
FAX: +81 3-3498-1750
Say,Free Shibuya ichi-go.
*NEWS A court session for grounds of detention will be held on Thursday afternoon 6th. Your message/action will be a great pressure on the police and the court who have unreasonably/unlawfully detained the three for more than 10days.
*Information you can spread!
-Multi language information provided
Non Japanese
http://www42.atwiki.jp/asoudetekoiq/?page=nonjapanese
Statement
SHOW your support by sending names and messages or any other actions! http://www42.atwiki.jp/asoudetekoiq/pages/537.html
Suppression report
http://www42.atwiki.jp/asoudetekoiq/pages/535.html
Videos
Here is the detail of the arrest: http://japan.indymedia.org/newswire/display/5178/index.php
you can see the arrest situation with English subtitle (turn on the caption by clicking button on bottom-right of player)
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=GvEttprIE70
Another video (with sub)
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=4B8DCEE3RsI
This video shows a conversation between Police and the 'reality tour' organizer. You can see police stating there are no problems in going to see the Prime minister house.
http://www42.atwiki.jp/asoudetekoiq/pages/539.html
Trois participants pacifiques
la marche-manifestation arr
Shibuya, Tokyo
http://www42.atwiki.jp/asoudetekoiq/pages/542.html
Japanese
http://asoudetekoiq.blog8.fc2.com/
http://www42.atwiki.jp/asoudetekoiq/
in solidarity,catbloc 2008
catbloc@riseup.net



Here is the update situation of the arrest of 3 activists in Tokyo. The three are still in custody. Now the footage of arrest with English subtitles is available at YouTube.(To see the subtitles, turn on the caption by clicking button on the bottom-right of the player.)
Prime Minister Asou's House tour Arrests
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=GvEttprIE70
"wanna see PM house? yeah no problem!"Say Police
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=4B8DCEE3RsI
STATEMENT DENOUNCING UNLAWFUL ARREST
Show your face, Aso!! 'Reality Tour' Solidarity Group



On October 26th, '"Reality Tour 2" what is 6200,000,000 Yen like? Let's go and see the Prime minister Aso's House' was held as a pre-event to the Anti-war and Resistance Festa happening on November 29th & 30th.



During this event, 3 of the tour participant were arrested and are now still hold in police custody. We are making it clear that these arrests are unlawful and denouncing the Public Safety Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and Shibuya police for taking away our comrades.
*Why a 'reality tour ?'
We did a reality tour to the'rip off mansion' of a temping agency president and this was another version of it where we decided to go and see the Aso Taro's mansion which is said to cost 6,200,000,000 yen just for the land. There has been some press coverage on the Prime minister's sense of money recently, and we wondered what kind of life he has as he is responsible for resolving the poverty and wealth gap.



However this tour had to be broken up by police.
*How the unlawful arrest happened
> At 3pm, the Chief of security department of Shibuya police said to us "If you wt want to go the Prime minister's house by walk, that's fine" and "you can go and see the house in group of 5 to 6 people each in turn" when we were gathering in front of Shibuya train station. We did some announcements of the tour for 30 or 40 minutes, then about 50 of us started to walk. We held our signs and balloons, and we never used our speaker just as police told us to do.



Only 5 minutes later, when we were reaching Dogen Zaka Street one of our comrades who were holding a sign to show the way to other participants was held his arm and wrestled to the ground by police. Police officers stared to get a full nelson on other 2 participant with> the cue saying"go!go!It's KOBO (Short term for "interfering with policemen in the execution of their duties") It's KOBO!" and then took away the 3. On the news report they say police gave us warnings many times but there weren't any except when we started walking.



The reason for the arrest of the 3 given by police are "breaching public safety ordinance" and "interfering with policemen in the execution of their duties", but it's all clear in recorded film that there were no such acts. There are no facts that tour participants conducted violence.



* Custody Visiting blocked and unlawful 10 days detention
Later on the same day, we went to Shibuya Police station to denounce the unlawful arrest and demand custody visiting and take necessities (food, cloth, toothbrush etc) to the 3. But police did not let us meet the 3. Also even when the solicitor/lawyer arrived at 5pm police didn't let him visit the arrestees and blocked the visiting of the solicitor for 2 hours. It was only after 7pm that the solicitor could go in to visit the arrestees and the necessities were handed to our comrades. Later on the 28th, it wwas decided that the 3 were to be held for another 10 days and custody visiting by non-solicitors were banned. Police didn't only unjustly repressed us but also openly infringed on the arrestee's legal rights by blocking the custody visiting and holding the 3 unlawfully.



We can never condone this outrageousness. Since when do we have no right to walk the pavement ? Who made the police guard us in large excess when we were only walking the pavement? Who told the press false information and trying to pin a crime on the innocent 3?



Police always do this, make their move first and make us take the blame. The police fearing people are going to "see" the prime minister's house, never hesitate to trample on our comrades' freedom and lives. The police protect Aso. Then we will protect ourselves.



We say this with rage!
Release our 3 comrades immediately!
Apologize for the unlawful arrest!
Taro Aso, take the responsibility for your lack of supervision!
October 29th
Show your face,Aso!!
'Reality tour' Solidarity Group
NOTE:
The Tokyo Public safety ordinance is unconstitutional as the constitution says in Article 21 "Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed."But even this ordinance should not give police or other public servant power> to ban or censor any political publications or signs or gatherings other than march or demonstration.



As the Arrest Solidarity group,we strongly protest to this repression and demand the immediate release of the 3 arrestees. Please support our statement.



If you or your organization decided to support, email to " asouq@sanpal.co.jp " as following
*******************
*I Support the statement of Show your face,Aso!! 'reality tour' Solidarity Group*
FOR INDIVIDUALS
Name:
Title: (if you have one and don't mind letting us know. It can be work industry,organization name, or anything you do.)
Place you are living: (county,city or other)
FOR ORGANIZATIONS
Name of organization:
Where it is based:
Please give us solidarity messages

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT:

ARRESTS IN JAPAN-SOLIDARITY REQUESTED:

The following item is from the Asian Anarchist Network. It has been slightly edited for reasons of English grammar.

....................
3 arrested on the way to the PMs 62 mil dollars house‏:
Hi there,

We need your solidarity message from activists around the world!

Write us at asouq@sanpal.co.jp

3 Arrested on the Way to the PM's 62 Million Dollars House

(26th October in Tokyo)

On Sunday afternoon of the 26th October, 3 comrades were arrested on the busy commercial street of Shibuya in Tokyo. At the time of arrest, they were walking down on the sidewalk along with some 50 others as a part of the Reality Tour heading for a mansion owned by the super-rich Prime Minister Tarou Asou who is from a family of coal-mining magnates/conglomerate and a grandson of famous conservative Prime Minister in 1950s. In the early20th century, the Asou coal mine had a number of labour disputes including cases fought by former colonial Korean labourers.

The Reality Tour was organised as a part of Anti-War and Resistance Festa in which anti-war activists as well as independent unionists of the freeters/working poor/precariate were involved. The tour intended to see the reality of the other side of the disparity: the PM's luxurious housing estimated at 6.2 billion yen (US$ 62 million) for the land itself. His house stands in the centre of Tokyo, about 15 minutes' walk from Shibuya Station, and the Reality Tour was simply designed to take a walk on the public road from the station to the Asou mansion. It should have been no problem at all for people just passing by his magnificent house.

At the meeting point in front of the Shibuya Station, which the organisers publicly announced beforehand, the police stood-by and talked to the organiser that they "allowed" us to go through the street around the house of Asou whose vicinity was designated under the special security. After few blocks walked by the tour , however, a group of plainclothes police rushed at a person who was on the sidewalk and grabbed him by shouting "Obstructing official duties! Obstructing official duties!" In attempting to take the guy back,two others were arrested.

Following the incident, corporate media covered the story in duplication of the police announcement: 3 were arrested allegedly because of their 'violent' or 'brutal' interfering with the police in execution of their duties.

As a way of fighting back against the police as well as educating the corporate media, the Freeters' Union held a press conference and gave an account that the police lawlessly blocked and arrested 3 persons on the sidewalk and that the Reality Tour ended up in displaying the police brutality which protected the ruling class from the working poor. A number of footage on the unlawful arrest has been uploaded on the Internet by media activists.

Upon the arrest, a jail solidarity collective called Asou-Q has been formed and actively worked on whatever we can. At the time of writing, all the 3 are still in custody but they have kept in high spirit. In order to support our comrades, send us your solidarity message onasouq@sanpal.co.jp

For more details, visit at http://asoudetekoiq.blog8.fc2.com/

*Related links

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uw701vV15U

Footage of the arrest

http://japan.indymedia.org/newswire/display/5178/index.php

Newswire (English) 2008

goodniteg8@riseup.net

We just got this news from an anti-G8 activist:

Protest against O26 repression

http://japan.indymedia.org/newswire/display/5178/index.php

3 comrades were arrested yesterday 26th Oct in a walking-tour just to see the reality of a mansion owned by super-rich prime-minister Tarou Asou who is a son of conglomerate owner

[video] shows the situation of police conspiring just befor the arrest. http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc0Z0Yvde8E

This 'reality tour' in which people intend to see the reality of the super-rich housing just by walking around the mansion owned by the current prime minister Tarou Asou who is a son of a conglomerate family, was a preliminary event for the coming Anti-war and Resistance Festa which will be held in 29th & 30th Nov.

Yesterday 26th, after a small protest gathering in front of the railway station. 50 people took a walking way to the mansion without any signs or banners , without even any loudspeakers. 3 were arrested allegedly because of their 'violent' or 'brutal' interfering with policemen in the execution of their duties according to every mainstream media last night. However, every report was based on the 'official' announcement made by the police. True brutality was committed by the police just after the walking started. The whole situations recorded by 3 or more our still and video cameras.

Today 27th Oct 1 pm a press conference will be held at the Freeter's Union Office in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Ask war_resisters_fes@yahoo.co.jp for more information.

...............................

PLUS...here is an update on the situation that Molly just received today.

............................

3 Arrested on the Way to the PM's 62 Million Dollars House (Tokyo):‏
Here is the update situation of the arrest of 3 activists in Tokyo. The three are still in custody.

Now the footage of arrest with English subtitles is available at YouTube.(To see the subtitles, turn on the caption by clicking button on the bottom-right of player.)

Prime Minister Asou's House tour Arrests

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=GvEttprIE70

"wanna see PM house? yeah no problem!"Say Police

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=4B8DCEE3RsI

STATEMENT DENOUNCING UNLAWFUL ARREST

"Show your face, Aso!! "

'Reality Tour' Solidarity Group

On October 26th, '"Reality Tour 2" What is 6,200,000,000 Yen like? Let's go and see the Prime minister Aso's House' was held as a pre-event to the Anti-war and Resistance Festa happening at November 29th & 30th.

During this event, 3 of the tour participants were arrested and are now still hold in police custody.

We are making it clear that these arrests are unlawful and denouncing Public Safety Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and Shibuya police for taking away our comrades.

*Why a 'reality tour'

We did a reality tour to the 'rip off mansion' of a temp agency president and this was another version of it where we decided to go and see the Aso Taro's mansion which is said to cost 6,200,000,000 just for the land. There has been some press coverage on the Prime minister's sense of money recently,and we wondered what kind of life he has, as he is responsible for resolving the poverty and wealth gap. However, this tour "had" to be broken up by police.

*How the unlawful arrest happened

At 3pm, the Chief of security department of the Shibuya police said to us "If you want to go to the Prime minister's house by walking , that's fine",and "you can go and see the house in groups of 5 to 6 people in each turn" when we were gathering in front of Shibuya train station. We did some announcements of the tour for 30 or 40minutes, then about 50 of us started to walk.We held our signs and balloons, and we never used our speakers just as police told us to do.

Only 5 minutes later, when we were reaching Dogen Zaka Street one of our comrades who were holding a sign to show the way to other participants was held by his arm and wrestled to the ground by police. Police officers stared to get a full nelson on another 2 participant with the cue saying"go!go! It's KOBO (Short term for "interfering with policemen in the execution of their duties") It's KOBO!" and then they took away the 3.

On the news report they say the police gave us warnings many times but there weren't any except when we started walking. The reason for the arrest of the 3 given by police are "breaching public safety ordinance" and"interfering with policemen in the execution of their duties" but it's all clear in recorded film that there were no such acts.There is no evidence that the tour participants engaged in violence.

* Custody Visiting blocked and unlawful 10 days detention

Later on the same day, we went to Shibuya Police station to denounce the unlawful arrest and demand custody visiting and to take necessities (food, cloth, toothbrush etc) to the 3. But police did not let us meet the 3. Also even when the solicitor/lawyer arrived at 5pm police didn't let him visit the arrestees and blocked the visiting of the solicitor for 2 hours. It was only after 7pm that the solicitor could go in to visit the arrestees and the necessities were handed to our comrades. Later on the 28th, it was decided that the 3 were to be held for another 10 days and custody visiting by non-solicitors were banned. Police didn't only unjustly repress us but also openly infringed on arrestee's legal rights by blocking the custody visiting and holding the 3 unlawfully.

We can never condone this outrageousness. Since when do we have no right to walk the pavement? Who made the police guard us in large excess when we were only walking the pavement? Who told the press false information and trying to pin a crime on the innocent 3?

Police always do this, make their first move and make us take the blame. The police, fearing people are going to "see" the prime minister's house, never hesitate to trample on our comrades' freedom and lives.The police protect Aso. Then we will protect ourselves.

We say this with rage!

Release our 3 comrades immediately!

Apologize for the unlawful arrest!

Taro Aso, take the responsibility for your lack of supervision!

October 29th

Show your face,Aso!!

'reality tour' Solidarity Group

NOTE: The Tokyo Public safety ordinance is unconstitutional as the constitution says in Article 21 "Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed." But even this ordinance should not give the police or other public servants the power to ban or censor any political publications or signs or gatherings other than a march or demonstration.

As the Arrest Solidarity group,we strongly protest to this repression and demand the immediate release of the 3 arrestees. Please support our statement.

If you or your organization decide to support us send an email to asouq@sanpal.co.jp as follows

**************

"I Support the statement of Show your face,Aso!! 'reality tour' Solidarity Group"

FOR INDIVIDUALS

Name:

Title: (if you have one and don't mind letting us know. It can be work industry,organization name, or anything you do.)

Place you are living: (county,city or other)

FOR ORGANIZATIONS

Name of organization:

Where it is based:

Please send us solidarity messages

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-JAPAN:

EYEWITNESS REPORT ON ANTI-G8 PROTESTS IN JAPAN:

The following, copied from the A-Infos website is apparently by a Canadian who was visiting Japan at the time of the recent anti-G8 protests in Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. See Molly's comments at the end.

............................

Japan, Eyewitness to the G8 protests

Japan was forcefully intolerant of dissent, and seemed bent on not allowing any embarrassments. --- Police violently attempt to arrest the music truck driver at the G8 protest in Sapporo, Japan. ---- The Group of Eight Summit was held July 7-9 on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. I have had some time to reflect on the protest that took place July 5, organized by Japanese NGOs, and how it reflects the wider context of the meetings. Last week, having traveled to Thailand, I sat in front of one of the world's biggest malls, in downtown Bangkok, in an eerily representative space of the struggle we are all confronting.

There, a photographic essay of the state of the world from above (all aerial photographs), documenting different human and natural ecosystems and their general state of decline, stood in sharp contrast to this megalithic shopping centre, where young Thais now flock to be seen and to see what the world has to offer them.

Of course, in a ritualistic greenwashing campaign, the mall had draped itself in the new green theme, urging passers-by to save the planet, to recycle, to reduce energy, everything they could, except, of course, examining and changing their consumption pattern. Is this the legacy of free-market democracy trumpeted by the G8 leaders we should be so proud of?

Getting back to the day of protest. The protest, actually termed the "G8 March for Peace," started of pacifically enough. Marchers gathered early in the afternoon to listen to speeches from the likes of Indigenous representatives from the Philippines, farm movement leaders from small-scale Japanese farms and Via Campesina, and Walden Bello, author and director of Focus on the Global South.

Speeches and translations exhausted, marchers gathered in a very organized Japanese manner, all protest groups separated by flags, colours, and often by nationality(one hardly thinks that this is unique to Japan-Molly). The usual suspects were there, from Oxfam to Jubilee South, masked as the G8 leaders, as well as some anarchists who seemed to emerge from nowhere.

Right away, the march through downtown Sapporo was a bit of a parody, only enhanced by a group of protesters dressed as clowns and faeries. The Japanese police only wanted marchers to take up one lane of traffic, and they became exasperated when nobody seemed to want to follow this demeaning law. It seemed that police outnumbered protesters all throughout the day as well, encircling us on all sides, and sticking cameras in our faces. A few scuffles emerged, but the protest carried along generally peacefully.

That is, until the police decided to arrest the DJ.

As the marchers had become generally separated by affiliation, most of the peaceful demonstrators kept to the front, and were left alone by the police. But towards the back, many of the more confrontational protesters, some dressed in black, converged around a truck completely outfitted with speakers and a DJ system.

For want of a real reason for arrest, we can only surmise the police had a particular distaste for the lively rock music blaring through the speakers, and rushed to arrest the DJ. This was not received well by the masses.

Immediately, marchers gathered to try and free their comrade, to little avail. Police in full riot gear surrounded the truck from behind, where the majority of demonstrators were gathered. After minutes of back and forth between the police and demonstrators, it seems the driver started to move the truck.

This was the final straw for police. They rushed to the driver's window, and proceeded to smash it with their clubs. Opening the door, they struggled to first disconnect the driver's seatbelt and tried to remove him forcefully, one officer's elbow around the man's neck. This neglected that his foot was now lodged in the steering wheel, and he wasn't going anywhere.

By now, the crowd was in full fury, as extra riot police were called in to keep demonstrators away. At this point I had managed to find a prime location to document everything from the passenger's window. Quickly though, a policeman came at me from the crowd, and forced me from the door, knocking me into the rearview mirror, and smashing it. I was rescued from his grip by other protesters, who were unable to keep him from later stationing himself in front of the door, stopping myself and another photojournalist from Spain from getting any more good shots, though we could see at this point about a dozen police pulling him by his neck and cheeks, an extreme display of force. Eventually they wrested him from the steering wheel and pulled him away from the crowd.

At this point, the protest was effectively over. Police cordoned off the truck completely with more riot troops, and started cordoning off the march from behind, forcing all marchers to move forward. This led to a few more scuffles, but it was nearly the end of the route anyway.

At this point, many of the anarchists headed to the police station to learn the fate of those arrested.

After being threatened with arrest for convening in front of the police station, protesters moved across the road, where again they were threatened with arrest for blocking civilian traffic. It was getting pretty ridiculous at this point, but protesters moved again to a park down the road.

There, they were confronted by a fascist Japanese political group who arrived in a van shouting at protesters, who reacted by pulling down one of the banners on the van, at which point those inside got violent. They hit a few protesters before being restrained, and the police arrived – to keep protesters away, even though it was these older gentlemen who were violent. Eventually police calmed down these men, and they drove away, screaming slogans as they left. The following day they would hold their own counter-rally.

So in the end, the whole show was a bit of a farce. It was nothing like G8 protests of the past, with only perhaps a thousand showing up, partly because of the remoteness, partly because of strict immigration controls, partly because of disinterest.The G8 protest resembled the results of the G8 Summit itself, not producing many significant results, besides letting the leaders know they were still not out of public eyes a few hours away in their private resort.

It also highlighted the direction being pursued by G8 leaders, as extreme security measures were introduced – Japan spent almost $100 million more than Germany on summit security, despite a dearth of protesters. Japan was forcefully intolerant of dissent, and seemed bent on not allowing any embarrassments.

Although small, the protest did highlight the necessary role of civil society to continue to challenge the authority and control of the G8.

I hope this experience help spur us in Canada to consider how we will react and organize when the G8 comes to Hunstville, Ontario in 2010.

Molly Notes:

1)It's hard for me to get a grasp of the "remoteness" of the meeting along with the idea of its "isolation". Here in Canada my idea of "remote" is conditioned by such places as Prince George, BC, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Thompson, Manitoba,Sudbury, Ontario, Hay River NWT,Come By Chance NFLD, etc., places that would hardly be associated with the term "resort". Still, in a smaller country, made up of islands.....

2)The declining attendance at "mega-protests" is hardly a new thing. Could I perhaps suggest that this sort of thing represents a tactic whose time has passed, and that its best before date is years in the past. This is especially true of the growing anarchist movement because....

3)Anarchism has now reached a level in many countries where it is large enough to maintain an "on the ground" presence in the day to day life of many communities. The slow and patient organizing of anarchists, whether it be flashy "Food Not Bombs" groups or the more patient and less headline producing organizing that is going on within unions-syndicalist and otherwise and within community groups, is actually what anarchism is in a large part of the world today. As anarchist movements develop they devote an increasing amount of time to such low key but ultimately more productive ways of organizing than they do to making futile shows at government events. This connects with the idea of purpose....

4)If "anarchism" means nothing but an excess of militance in promoting the idea of fighting the police and always losing then it means nothing. If we have no more productive alternatives than tempting the police to beat us up then we are ultimately futile. These productive alternatives are actually being built day by day, but they are not the picture that either the forces of authority nor those anarchist ideologues whose self interest drives them to maintain the movement in a state of childishness want to present. I am reminded of the goofy statement of one prominent American anarchist who cheerleads the continuation of such tactics by saying that "we should build a movement so large that the pigs run away in fear when they see us coming". I am thereby reminded of a barn that I once help shovel out that had a layer of shit 3 feet deep across its entire surface. The "pigs" (police) will never have to run, just as they have always !!!!!!!!!!! won in the end at all such protests. I won't go any further on the childish language used to describe the opponents except to say that its use prevents thought rather than encourages it, and in the end serves the interests of the opponents. Try and get larger and nastier- they'll get larger and nastier faster. This is a great example of confusing "politics" with "showing off". Hopefully we can outgrow this as rapidly as possible. This means that....

5)Perhaps the best response to another G8 meeting in Canada is no response. Perhaps we are just large enough in this country to abandon the attempt to grab headlines, with increasingly diminishing attendance, and concentrate on more productive ways of putting anarchism into practice.

ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-JAPAN:

THE CASE OF "COMRADE Y":

"Kamagasaki" is the old name of a district comprising four towns in Osaka, Japan. The newer (since 1966) name for the district is Airin-chiku, but by any name it is known as "Japan's largest slum". Since 1961 there have been a series of riots in the area. The latest, the 24th, occur ed this June 13 to 21 in connection with the G8 Finance Ministers' meeting in Osaka. During the crackdown prior to the meeting police arrested and tortured a day labourer. Other labourers and local citizens revolted, and the disturbances continued for several days.

After the riots local police continued to exert as much pressure as possible on the community. One of these was the unnamed "comrade Y". The following appeal from Japanese anarchists was transmitted via the Asian Anarchist Network. I have slightly edited it for reasons of English grammar.

................................................

Comrades & friends,

-Bastards of Osaka gestapo, YOU MUST FUCKING RELEASE COMRADE_Y IMMEDIATELY!

-WE CAN'T FORGIVE ALL OF YOU for arresting the so-called "criminals" of the Kamagasaki riot to the polizei station!

-RELEASE ALL OF "CRIMINALS" OF KAMAGASAKI RIOT on 13-21 june 2008 right now!

Salute from a roadside of the eastern suburb of Osaka prefecture(kawachi area). This is some general update information about a homeless comrade_Y , a member of FWF.

On the morning of 9 July 2008, a homeless comrade_Y , a member of FWF, was suddenly arrested by the Osaka gestapo at an office of the Kamagasaki-liberation building as a criminal ie someone doing the right things against the police-pigs on 15 June 2008. On same day, 4 young persons were arrested by Osaka police on the same criminal charges resulting from the Kamagasaki riot from 13-21 June 2008. This is a weird reason for the arrest. He was a resident of Utsubo park tent village since 30 Jan. 2006. However, osaKKKa city authorities and police swept 6 huts of homeless comrades away from that park for the noble persons and their Rose convention in 2006.

On 11 July 2008, the Osaka gestapo took homeless comrade_Y from the Nishinari police station to Higashi polizei station's custody. Right now, the police prevent his contacts from everyone, excepting his lawer. However, we will be able to bring something for his life at Higashi police station. If you will be able to do something, protest to the Japanese officials in your areas.

And send courageous messages to the comrade_Y.(we can receive your msg to him atrebel_factory@riseup.net) thanx.

In struggle against the state control and state terror.

NO PASARAN!

(rebel_JILL/an unemployed person)

ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-JAPAN:

RESISTANCE AGAINST THE G8 MEETING IN JAPAN:

The following item from the A-Infos website may be partially "dated", but it should be noted that the protests against the G8 summit in Hokkaido are still continuing.

..................................

Resistance Against G8 Summit, Arrests and Detentions of Activists and Independent Journalists in Japan

Japan July 7th-9th - In the lead up to the G8 Summit in Japan from July 7th through 9th, Japanese authorities have arrested domestic activists and have detained numerous foreign independent media journalists and anti-G8 protesters. At least six independent journalists and ten academics have been detained by Japanese immigration officials in the past weeks, including Andrej Grubacic, professor of sociology at the University of San Francisco.

Police arrested eight protesters on June 29, as 1,500 people marched against the G8 Summit in Tokyo's fashionable fashionable Shibuya and Shinjuku districts. Earlier this month, workers in Kamagasaki clashed with police and security in the face of violent repression and brutality against at least one worker.

Japan's security budget for the G8 Summit is at least 30 billion yen ($283 million), topping the 113 million euros ($186 million) Germany spent to host the summit of the world's most powerful "democratic" nations.

The G8 Summit will be held in the resort town of Toyako on the northern island of Hokkaido. Japanese activists opposing the summit call it an "arbitrary meeting of governments dominating the global financial market with the World Trade Organization and Free Trade Agreements". They object to the fact that developing nations are forced to accept agreements like NAFTA in exchange for ODA (Official Developmental Assistance).

At the local level, they are concerned that in recent years Japanese social welfare has been reduced and the working poor have suffered. Agribusiness, a favorite topic of G8 discussion, runs counter to Japanese tradition of respect for individual farmers. At the same time, the US is urging Japan to re-arm despite having a constitution imposed by US Occupation Forces that calls for Japan to forever remain a peaceful nation.

The US led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are also targets of the G8 protests, and caricatures of President Bush with the theme "Wanted for Murder" were seen in internet video of the demonstrations.

On June 30th, the Counter-G8 International Forum opened in Hokkaido and will conclude on July 1st. Media G8way reports that anti-G8 activists from Japan and across the world came together to strategize on how to resist the G8 and construct alternatives to a system in which "financial crises, food crises and ecological destruction are inherent.

"Meanwhile, organizers continue to prepare protests and demonstrations against the summit. Daily six hour marches are planned from one of the main camps, Toyoura camp, into town, and a major demonstration estimated at 10,000 people is scheduled for July 5 in Sapporo.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/07/01/18512390.php

JAPAN:

AGAINST THE G8 SUMMIT IN JAPAN:

The summit of the G8 countries has begun at Lake Toya, Japan, and the protests against this gathering of the world's ruling class have begun as well. The following update is from today's A-Infos website. Further links are given in the body of this message.

..................................

Japan, Two of Many Updates on the G8 Protests!

Press Release June 27 2008

---- * Japan: International Resistance against the 2008 G8 summit has begun

---- * Camps, demonstrations, action days

---- * Police try to link protests to terrorism and are denying people entry into Japan

---- The protests against the 2008 G8 summit have begun. On Thursday a demonstration took place in Kyoto against the G8 foreign ministers meeting. There are three protests camps in Sapporo, the nearest town to Lake Toya, where the G8 summit will take place from July 7-9. Alternative media centres in Sapporo and Tokyo have been set up and a network of critical lawyers is ready to support demonstrators. Events, conferences and demonstrations are scheduled for the coming week. Many activists from around the world have travelled to Japan, amongst them anarchist and trade union groups from other Asian countries.

A network of NGOs will be lobbying the G8 to alter their political course. The "G8 Action Network" rejects the G8 as illegitimate and groups from this network have organised an "Anti-G8 Tokyo Sound Demonstration" this Sunday. The major international anti-capitalist conference, the "Counter-G8 International Forum" starts on Monday in Tokyo and Hokkaido. As has been the case in the past, many of the groups and organisations are participating in joint mobilisations despite their different positions.

Meanwhile, the police are attempting to delegitimate and divide the movement. More than 40 people were arrested two weeks ago, and squats have been searched. Following a raid on a trade union office in the working class neighbourhood Kamagasaki in Osaka, confrontations with police ensued which lasted for a number of days.

Since Tuesday the controls at the Narita International Airport in Tokyo have been stepped up. Foreigners have been questioned and searched for up to 12 hours. Some have been asked to provide detailed plans of their activities for each day of their stay. In spring this year, the Japanese Government changed the requirements for entry into the country.

Already last August, the German Federal Police (BKA) provided the Japanese investigation authorities with information on the networks and coalitions that participated in the anti- G8 protests in Heiligendamm in 2007. Japanese police travelled to Berlin to learn about measures against summit protests. The BKA'a president Mr Ziercke promised to continue to provide "all relevant data".

During the 2007 G8 summit protests the German police compiled an extensive database with photos and fingerprints, which presumably includes all 1.800 people who were arrested during the protests. Although only a very small number of them were actually convicted of anything this data has not been destroyed. Normally, inclusion in such a database is sufficient to be denied entry into a country during a summit meeting.

Trade unionists of the Korean "Confederation of Trade Unions" have been issued a blanket entry denial. Also the Italian philosopher and activist Toni Negri has been denied entry. Only yesterday two media activists of the Hong Kong collective "In-Media" were arrested at the airport.

The police has issued a number of posters 'warning' the Japanese public about the protests by comparing them to the London 7/7 bombings in 2005. One of the posters depicts a demolished London bus next to a photo of a burnt out car in Rostock. The public is being asked to report suspicious persons directly to the police. Hotels across Japan have been instructed to send photocopies of all passports of foreign guests to the police.

In the coming week there will be protests against the G8 summit worldwide, including in France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Spain and the Basque Country.

*Background*

* G8 Action Network: http://www.jca.apc.org/alt-g8/en

* No G8! Japan: http://a.sanpal.co.jp/no-g8

* Entry denial and controls: http://www.debito.org/?p=1752 undhttp://watch08summit.blogspot.com/2008/06/protestation-against-tightening-of.html* Instructions for hotels: http://www.debito.org/?p=1764

* Police poster campaign:

www.gipfelsoli.org/rcms_repos/images/38/roppongisummitpolice001.jpeg

und www.gipfelsoli.org/rcms_repos/images/38/g8-poster-1-of-1.jpeg

MEDIA report:

Japan anti-G8 summit protesters scuffle with police

Anti-G8 summit protesters danced to blaring music and marched down the streets of Tokyo in heavy rain on Sunday, accusing the Group of Eight rich nations of causing poverty and world instability. The protests, which have become a fixture at Group of Eight summits, came as Japan tightened security ahead of this year's July 7-9 gathering in Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Two separate rallies in the nation's capital gathered over 1,000 people, including anti-capitalists, labour union members and protesters from abroad, such as Spain and South Korea.

Security was heavy with hundreds of anti-riot police guarding the streets as protesters walked down Tokyo's central shopping districts, carrying signs proclaiming various agendas such as "shut down G8 summit" and "G8=hunger".

Some protesters scuffled with the police. Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi said two people were arrested. Police could not confirm the report.

"Issues like environmental destruction and poverty in Africa, these are all caused by the G8 governments," said Yu Ando, a 31-year-old working for a municipal government in western Japan.

"I can't stand that they are proclaiming to solve these issues."

For the summit at Lake Toya, about 760 km (470 miles) north of Tokyo, domestic and international NGOs such as Oxfam plan to protest a range of topics including globalisation, the food crisis and wars.

Protests are expected near the summit venue -- where protesters are expected to gather at three camp sites -- as well as in Tokyo and Sapporo, capital of Hokkaido.

But tight security and the sheer cost of travel to the vicinity of the remote summit site could dampen turnout.

Human rights lawyers have said Japanese immigration authorities are making it tough for some activists to get visas by complicating the application process, and media reports said some activists were detained for hours at immigration.

At last year's G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, an estimated 30,000 protesters flocked to the area and entered a restricted zone set up for the summit, as well as blocking land routes into the area.

At Lake Toya, leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States will discuss soaring food and oil prices, along with climate change and African development. Japan has also invited eight other nations, including Brazil, China and India, to hold talks on climate change on the sidelines.