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Osaka Riots A Personal Account

Ann On | 16.06.2008 16:31 | Repression | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | World

This is one persons account of the riots in Osaka, the time they are talking about is Friday 13th the day of the G8 Finance Ministers meeting.

I heard someone should write a report so I'm doing it now.
There were no camera from media, so they probably won't report the situation.

Last night(or today in early morning)3am, police was called in a shop at Tsurumibashi
and the worker was taken to Nishinari Police station.

It wasn't a eat and run,it was just that the worker complained about gruff manner of the shop person.
Then at a cell in the second floor(3F),the worker was punched,kicked, by the each of the 4 detectives,and ended up being hanged wrong side up as they holds the worker's foot.

When the worker started feeling far, the detectives began spraying something to him.
The protest action against this incident started, as always, with sound truck parked at
the front door of Nishinari Police station.

I had to go to Daikokucho, so I was passing by watching the action.But when I came back
around 8:30pm ,passing through the Deshiro intersection and reaching to Nankai-line underpass, I bumped into a riot police platoon waiting in array. Then I though the protest is still going on,and went to see it so I found no less than 300 workers surrounding Nishinari station.

The protest with sound car ended about 19:30 pm, and usually when it's over people starts to leave but this time it just got bigger.
I checked for my acquaintance but found no one.

I met the people from protest action and the worker who were beaten by detectives. He showed me his swelled face by being punched and scars in his neck from being roped.
Is it normal to rope people at interrogation?
The person who took the worker to hospital said the doctor told "They've done too much".

When the worker was telling his stories other workers come and say"I've had that,too ", as usual.
Some cried saying "More power to you".But after 21pm this excitement is unusual.

Before i arrived a young policeman came from the front door and said something rude, then ended up beating few people so the situation had got bigger.

The policeman was a new face who didn't know how workers usually react to these things.
There were no police outside the station , and inside of the wall every kind of thrown objects was scattered.The streets nearby looked trashed.
I was shocked by the Nishinary police behaving horrible as usual.They are the one causing this trouble.

The front gate became quiet as people moved to the north gate and a big wave of people were trying to break the gate.
The stainless made gate is not easily breakable, and there is a car the other side to protect the gate but people began to chant, not losing hope.

A white smoke appeared and covered the street.I though they used the tear gas and covered my mouth by a towel but it was a fire extinguisher someone had thrown.
repeating angry voices
Sound of glass being broken
Bikes are thrown
Someone got hit in head by a "cup sake" (glass bottle of rice wine about the size of a half pint glass) thrown by our friends, but other than that,
we didn't experience injuries.

The riot police walked toward us from Nankai line guard,where there were waiting.
The situation became tense. But they were not many and that was obvious sign of
no intention to intimidate the workers. So the excited workers jumped to the riot cops
who were about to enter the police station from the gate.Then a fight started.
Some young workers runs with stolen the police helmets and shields.

A young riot cop fall down during the fight at the gate.It was out friends E and K
who carried him saying "this is serious.". The cop was totally unconscious, so if we left him there he might be beaten up.That's why E and K saved him.
They talked to the riot cops crowded at the gate and left him inside then came back to us.
The riot cops reformed themselves and tried to come out again but were attacked by "cup sakes", then they had to back off.

Today was the first day of 8 finance minister meeting, the main force of riot police is probably concentrated there.
30 cops wouldn't do.
The workers knows the situation well, some even complacently say "They gave us the untrained bunch".

Considering that, why the Nishinari police would make this trouble in such time?
They are just too foolish.The Chief of police should have come out and apologize frankly
before causing all this mess.

I couldn't witness the whole thing because I had thing to do, but it's the first report for now.
I hope someone will fill the gap of this lacking report.
I also hope we see no more arrest or injury.

Ann On

Additions

solidarity and support

16.06.2008 17:07

To support the protests in Japan, join the solidarity protest at the Japanese embassy on July 4 and the Day of Action against the G8 in Croydon on July 5.

londonfete
mail e-mail: londonfete@riseup.net
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