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Sunday, December 20, 2009

A Tokyo Meeting In Response to the Racists' Attack on the Korean School in Kyoto [集会報告と御礼]12・19緊急報告会 民族差別を許すな! 京都朝鮮学校襲撃事件を問う

Akira Maeda, a law professor of Tokyo Zokei University reported the meeting held starting at 6 PM, December 19 in Tokyo called "12.19 Emergency Report Meeting: Do not allow racial discrimination - Kyoto Korean school incident." The meeting took place at Tokyo Shigoto Centre in Iidabashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, in response to the recent incident of this right-wing and xenophobic group zaitokukai's public harassment of a Korean school in Kyoto. According to Akira Maeda, the meeting was attended by about 200 people, and probably 240, including security volunteers. About 30 people could not get in because the room was too full. Following is an English summary of Maeda's report of the meeting (Translation: Satoko Norimatsu). The original text in Japanese is below the translation.

1) A successful meeting
The 10-minute video clip of the incident was played, and the Principal of Kyoto Korean school reported the incident. It was made clear that the claim by "zaitokukai" regarding the use of the public park was ungrounded. Then Maeda explained what hate crime was. Then Kim Donghak, Chair of the Association of Korean Human Right in Japan, presented the historical concept of discrimination against Koreans and against Korean schools. At the end, Shigeru Tokoi, the head of the steering committee of the Human Rights Seminar, suggested what we Japanese must do (Maeda was going in and out to look after the security issue so could not report the details of all the speeches.)

2) Security by Police
On the morning of the 19th, a request for security provision was made to the Kojimachi Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. The police officer in charge said, "We have already had information about right-wing campaign occurring, so we were going to be there anyway. We will take care of outside of the building. We would like the organizers to take care of inside. Let's have a meeting beforehand."

Police arrived and started to get ready around 3PM. Police and we had a meeting at 4:30PM. We were told that the police would not let the right-wingers enter the building, but a few might still slip in, and that it was our responsibility to eliminate those who disrupted the event. Many police officers were deployed at in front of the building. We were satisfied with the level of security the police provided. After the event, the police officer in charge came and told us that they were leaving, but would still keep an eye on the place as there was a slight possibility that the right-wingers would come back.

The security provided by the Kojimachi Branch of the Police Department was well-controlled and systematic. Their professionalism for protecting the safety of citizens was remarkable. It was unlike the cases in Mitaka and Kyoto.

3) Security at Shigoto Centre
Shigoto Centre, where the meeting was held, looked after the security matter well too. They posted warning posters, their staff members were equipped with handheld microphones and armbands, and the security company increased the staff to five. The employees of the Centre and the security staff patrolled in front of the entrance and in the entrance lobby with firm and controlled manners. They stayed until our meeting was over and made sure everyone left the facility safely. We were so grateful for the devotion that these people showed for our safety.

4) Our own security
At the seminar meeting, we provided our own security measures. The event proceeded smoothly, without the kind of trouble we were expecting. However, several right-wingers did manage to get into the building. There were already a few at 2 PM. By 5 PM, they broke into the hallways and in front of the elevator hall. Some were ranting in the hallway. Two entered the seminar room, but we detected them before the start of the meeting, and asked them to leave. They went back and forth in the hallway, but left without doing anything.

5) Zaitokukai (short for "Zainichi Tokken o Yurusanai Shimin no Kai," meaning "Association of citizens who would not tolerate the privileges of foreign residents." They typically refer to Korean residents in Japan when they refer to "zainichi," or "foreign residents.")

The right-wingers parked their campaign trucks in front of the main entrance of the building, and making loud noises. There were about 30 of them. There were probably about 50 of them in total, including those who were in the building. We were told that they had brought the letter of protest, so we decided to receive it. When the police told the group that we had the intention to receive the letter, they suddenly decided not to submit it. We didn't know what that meant.

6) Gratitude
We had so much support and cooperation from so many people to make this meeting happen. We are grateful for the Kojimachi Branch of Police Department, staff members of Shigoto Centre and their security staff, and those citizens who volunteered to help with security. We appreciate the participants who came from afar on a Sunday evening and shared our determination for not tolerating the Korean school incident. We also apologize for those who could not enter the seminar room. Thanks also to those who sent us the numerous emails of support, and to the people all over the country who condemn this incident and the exclusionist nationalism behind it.

7) What We Should Do Now
There will be a meeting on December 22 held in Kyoto, where the incident happened. There will be activities in Osaka as well.

Racism, racial discrimination and exclusionist nationalism usually manifest in abnormally aggressive behaviours against their targets, and they are at the same time expression of human weakness. The kind of mentality to reaffirm one's sense of superiority by despising, demeaning, and disgracing others is perhaps latent in many of the people. This could explain why the hate crimes committed by this kind of extreme group is effective to a certain extent. If we let this "disease" be as it is now, it might spread across the whole society quickly. We should raise our voices and act so that racism would not prevail.

Thank you everybody.

Akira Maeda


1)充実した報告会

最初に10分ほど京都朝鮮学校事件の映像を上映し、続いて京都朝鮮学校校長からの現地報告がありました(私は外にいたので、残念ながら聞くことができませんでした)。公園の利用に関して、在特会などの主張は事実に反することが明快に報告されたそうです。次に私が集会の経過報告と、ヘイトクライムとは何かについて少し話しました。さらに、金東鶴さんが、日本における朝鮮人差別、朝鮮学校差別について、歴史的により広い文脈におきなおして報告がありました。会場発言も、コンパクトにまとめた、いいお話が続きました。最後に床井茂(人権セミナー実行委員長)が、日本人としてなさねばならないこととして、私たちの課題をまとめる発言をしました。(警備関連でばたばたして、出たり入ったりし
ていたため、私は他の方の発言をきちんと聞けませんでしたので、旨く報告できません。すみません)。

2)警察の警備

19日午前に麹町署に警備要請をしました。担当者は、「街宣情報があったの警備に行く予定でした。外の警備は警察がしっかりやります。建物の中は施設と集会主催者でやってください。開始前にきちんと打ち合わせをしましょう」。

午後3時頃にはすでに警察が出動し、警備体制が敷かれ始めました。4時半に警備責任者ら5人の方がいらして、簡単な打ち合わせを行いました。右翼を中に入れないようにするが、全部をおさえることはできないので、中に紛れ込む者もいるから、集会の趣旨に反して騒ぐものは自分たちで排除してください、とのことでした。会場前には制服・私服の多数の警察官が配置され、しっかりと警備してくれました。飯田橋駅寄りや九段寄りの路上に数台の警察装甲車が並んでいたうです。

街宣終了時に、担当者がきて、終了したので警備体制を解くが、彼らが戻ってくる可能性がないとは言えない、個別に残っているメンバーもいるので、監視は続けるし、何かあれば即座に対応します、とのこと。

一言で言って、麹町署の警備は非常によく統制され、見事な体制でした。三鷹や京都のケースとは違って、麹町署は警備のプロとして、市民の安全を守るために万全の仕事をしてくれたと思います。

3)しごとセンターの警備

19日、しごとセンターもきっちりと警備体制を敷いてくれました。午後1時半に要請にいったのですが、前日とはうってかわって、「注意事項・禁止事項」の大きな張り紙、職員はハンドマイクと腕章を用意、そして警備会社の警備員も5名に増員。西沢課長は「会館に出入りする人間の安全のために、できることは全部やります。体を張ってやるつもりです」。

実際、4時半頃から街宣終了まで、職員と警備員が玄関前や玄関ホールで整然と、毅然と、警備を行っていました。街宣終了後も、万が一、一部の右翼が残っているかもしれないので、私たちの集会が終了するまで残られ、私たちの退場まですべて確認。献身的なお仕事ぶりに頭が下がる思いでした。

4)私たちの警備

会場セミナー室前では私たち自身が警備体制を敷きました。施設側がしっかりしてくれたので、当初予想されたような混乱はなく、無事に済みました。とはいえ、実際には何人もの右翼が会館内に紛れ込んでいました。すでに午後2時には何人もが中に入っていました。午後2時からの西谷文和さんのイラク報告会の時点で、こちらの様子を探りに入れ替わり立ち代り出没していました。午後5時過ぎには、廊下やエレベータホール前に押し入ってきました。廊下で暴言を吐く者もいました。セミナー室に入ったものも2名いましたが、開会前に早期発見、退場していただきました。いずれも廊下をうろうろしながら妨害を画策していたようですが、何もできずに帰っていきました。

5)在特会

右翼は、会館玄関前に街宣車を乗りつけ、ワーワー騒いでいました。そこには約30名。事前に会館内に入り込んで妨害行為をもくろんでいたメンバーたちも含めると、おそらく全部で50名ほどが来ていたのではないかと思います。

抗議書を持ってきていると言うので、受け取ることにしました。警察が「受け取るそうだ。どうする」と伝えたところ、なぜか「じゃあ、渡さない」となったそうです。意味不明。結局、私宛の抗議書を見ることもできませんでした。

6)御礼

集会実現のために多くの方たちのご協力、ご支援をいただきました。

万全の警備を敷いていただいた麹町署に感謝いたします。暴力集団の違法活動を監視し、市民の安全を守るために任務を的確にこなされました。

街宣行動の対象にされたのは初めてと困惑しながらも、右翼の脅迫や恫喝に耐えて、しっかりと警備体制を敷き、たんたんと職務をこなされたしごとセンター職員と警備の方たちに感謝します。

自主的な防衛の為にボランティアで駆けつけてくださった警備協力者の方たちに感謝申し上げます。本当にありがとうございました。

休日の夜に、民族差別を許すな、朝鮮学校襲撃事件を許すなという思いを共有していただき、各地からおこしいただいた参加者の皆さんに感謝いたします。

せっかく会場におこしいただいたのに、入場できずにお帰りいただくことになった皆さん、大変申し訳ありませんでした。

SOSメールを転送していただいた皆さん、精神的支援のメールを送っていただいた皆さん、排外主義に眉をひそめ朝鮮学校襲撃事件に批判の声をあげられている全国のみなさん、ご協力、ご支援、ありがとうございます。

7)これから

22日には、事件が起きた京都の市民の方たちによって集会が準備されています。大阪での取り組みも準備中です。

人種主義、人種差別、排外主義は、被害者に対しては異様に攻撃的な形で現象しますが、実は、人間の弱さの現われでもあります。他者を侮蔑し、貶め、辱めることによって、自分の優位を確認したがるメンタリティは、おそらく多くの人々の中に潜んでいるのかもしれません。在特会のような異常な犯罪集団による扇動が一定の効果を持つのもそのためでしょう。こうした「病」を放置しておくと、あっという間に社会に広がるかもしれません。人種差別の蔓延を防ぐために、適時に的確に声をあげていくことが大切です。

みなさん

今後ともよろしくおねがいいたします。ありがとうございました。

(前田 朗さんによる報告)

3 comments:

  1. I'm relieved to know that many people in Tokyo and Kyoto are working
    together
    in response to that particular incident.
    Prof. Akira Maeda's report of the meeting helps me to understand
    what's going on
    over there. The last part of his summary, "What we should do now," is
    especially well spoken.
    Thank you for keeping me posted.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Many thanks to Mr. Maeda for his courageous voice and leadership!

    We posted his complete report and linked to our blog, Ten Thousand Things (on the culture of peace) in hope to amplify his call to not being silent and expressing solidarity with the young school children, their families, and Korean resident communities in Kyoto and throughout Japan.

    As an Asian American who experienced verbal assaults as an elementary child in the US (high school bullies called me "Jap" and pretended to machine-gun me), I can remember the fear and confusion I felt.

    I can imagine how the young children felt when accosted by such adults with those ridiculously loud blowhorns speaking and acting in such a bizarre and mean-spirited manner.

    We need to let them know that healthy, normal, civilized adults and people are on their side.

    There are so many people worldwide carrying deep wounds from racism experienced during childhood. The blessing now is that we live in a time when there is more awareness and we can speak out as Mr. Maeda calls us to do. I am hopefully we can get messages of solidarity to these children, their families, and the Korean resident communities in Japan.

    We also express our solidarity with Mr. Maeda.

    Jean Downey

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello,

    We, Koreans very appreciate the efforts of the peaceful Japaese citizens like Maeda Akira. The news is also in the Korean media, Tongil News.

    http://www.tongilnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=87961


    All the bless for his and his friends' peace works!

    No Base Stories of Korea

    ReplyDelete