Japan Press Weekly

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2014 October 29 - November 4 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

2,800 people join anti-hate speech demonstration in Tokyo

In protest against extreme nationalists’ hate speech campaigns, about 2,800 citizens on November 2 paraded through Tokyo’s downtown district of Shinjuku.

This is the second demonstration parade organized by the civic group, Tokyo No Hate. Under the slogan “Let’s hand down a discrimination-free world to children”, demonstrators called on the Japanese government to fully implement the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Walking and dancing to rap music emanating from the leading car, they called out, “We need no discrimination!” and “No hate!”

A 32-year-old female clothing designer joined the march with her friends wearing chogoris (traditional costumes in Korea) which she designed herself. “When I was in junior high and high school, I went to Korean schools in Japan wearing the traditional dress. By putting on the chogori, I want to appeal to passersby to work together for the eradication of racism.”

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Koike Akira participated in the parade.


Past related article:
> High court finds hate speech demonstrations illegal [July 9, 2014]