What about freedom of assembly?

November 9, 2012

10,000-strong anti-nuclear rally from Hibiya Park canceled

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20121109p2a00m0na013000c.html

A planned anti-nuclear power march around the Diet Building in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward for Nov. 11 has been canceled because of the metropolitan government's refusal to allow the use of Hibiya Park.

Reversing an earlier policy to permit rally organizers to use Hibiya Park as a venue for participants, the Tokyo government has tightened regulations and the organizers of the planned march have failed to find a venue to accommodate participants. The new policy has drawn fire from anti-nuclear protesters as weekly anti-nuclear rallies in front of the prime minister's office continue.

The Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes, which has been spearheading the weekly rallies in front of the prime minister's office, has decided to cancel the Nov. 11 march in which the organizer had hoped to attract about 10,000 participants.

The organizers started big rallies from a corner of Hibiya Park in March and July this year.

It applied to the metropolitan government in September for use of Hibiya Park as the starting point of the Nov. 11 rally but the government explained the new policy under which the rally organizer needs to get permission rather than simply submitting an application. As a condition for permission, the government asked the rally organizer to use either Hibiya Public Hall or Hibiya Music Hall. Both facilities cost about 80,000 yen to 250,000 yen for four hours.

The organizers protested the regulation change and submitted an application again at the end of October. But the government turned down the request, saying both facilities were fully booked for Nov. 11 and it cannot ensure the safety of ordinary visitors to the park.

The Tokyo District Court and Tokyo High Court spurned the coalition's petition, forcing the coalition to cancel the planned rally.

According to the metropolitan government's Park Division, it recommended the organizers use Shiba Park, about 1.5 kilometers away from Hibiya Park, as the starting point but the organizers insisted on using Hibiya Park, saying Shiba Park would be a hassle for families and elderly people.

Tetsuya Shikada, chief of the Park Division, told the Mainichi Shimbun that staff at Hibiya Park used to accept applications in the past but organizers of such rallies are initially required to get permission in accordance with the metropolitan government's regulations.

He said the Tokyo government has strengthened regulations in the aftermath of the July rally which the organizer says attracted about 27,000 people. He added that demonstrations involving around 100 people do not require permission.

Nobuo Kojima, a lawyer representing the anti-nuclear coalition, criticized the Tokyo government for tightening the regulations including the use of facilities like Hibiya Public Hall and Hibiya Music Hall as a condition for holding demonstrations. "Large-scale demonstrations cannot be held if there is no money. Freedom of assembly could be jeopardized."

Ikuo Gonoi, associate professor of politics at Takachiho University and author of a book on protests, says demonstrations for many years have started from Hibiya Park as a symbol of Japan's postwar democracy. The metropolitan government's stiffer regulations against demonstrations are tantamount to a denial of postwar history, he says.