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© Thomson Reuters/APRally against racism, in support of Black Lives Matter held in Tokyo
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109 Comments
since1981
Why in Japan. Rally against something in the US but no rallies against J-Gov. For giving our taxes (76billon JPY) to Densu and other big companies friends with LDP.
oldman_13
Good for them.
And to think people still believe that Japanese are apolitical and afraid of their own shadows to protest lest they stand out from the grain.
But surely some will nitpick and find something to criticize here (size of crowd, etc. etc.).
How many are protesting in China?
since1981
And Black Lives only matter when a black person is killed by a white cop. Where were they and supporters when blacks were looting and burning businesses of blacks? Where are they when a black cop gets killed by blacks. Why is it that those black lives don’t matter?
Tom Young
Japan could have stood down but some chose to join the protest. Good on them.
Yrral
George Floyd should not be seen as a Martyr, but a victim of a corrupt police system,
FizzBit
Hmmmm.....are you talking about a corrupt police system in the Democrat stronghold of Minneapolis , with a Democrat mayor and a Democrat governor?
Yubaru
THIS is what it takes to start change! Openly acknowledging that something exists is the first step! It would be easy to dismiss her comments due to her relative young age, and stating that racism exists "now" should be just plain "exists", but she is on the right path!
Thank you Wakaba! There is hope for the future here! Hopefully your "family" will get it one day too, as there should be NO reason to have to "hide" anything when there is injustice happening in your world!
Ken
You only need to look at a comment to know who is a racist.I know if I criticize the comment,mine will be deleted.
The whole point is about police brutality,racism and discrimination in the world including right here where we live.If you can't see that,then you must be living in a bubble.
Yubaru
People would be better served by writers just reporting the news and leaving out the "baggage" to make it seem worse than it possibly was! It's reporting like this that escalates the situation, and is irresponsible at best!
"Leaving him with bruises".....you call that "brutal"?? What do you call being literally "choked to death?"
He was "dragged from his car" and sustained bruises, the readers here GET THE POINT!
Yrral
Trump choose his bunker, over golf today, as he being humiliated
since1981
Humiliated? Fact: Democrat states are being looted and burned and people are being beaten trying to protect their business, while Republican states have peace and are enjoying their daily lives as armed civilians patrol the streets. NO violence NO disorder. I've seen the videos and I've heard from friends back home.
Yubaru
And THIS is a huge part of the problem! People who think this way do not want to accept that the problem is real! Whether or not these things happen, and they do, it should never be used as a justification that it is OK somehow for the police to brutalize the black community!
Stop hiding behind these excuses!
dagon
Good to see political engagement and awareness among young Japanese.Hopefully it carries over to awareness of judicial abuses, unfair policing, and corporate and political malfeasance closer to home.
since1981
Obviously you don't live in Japan. In Japan, you have get the approval from the government, after going through all the red tape. And you don't protest against J-Gov without it being shout down and/or surrounded by buses so no one can see what is happening. The only protest you see here are mostly about other countries.
non party
This is the best answer to all the racist .. Well written ..
This black lives matter is just a political group ..... This is racist ... Black nationalism ... They are promoting racism ... To stop racism there should not be any race.. NO BLACK race... NO white race... and no Yellow race.. or no green race...
Yubaru
Be interesting to see if the weekly sunday morning talking-heads/editorial type TV shows pick this up! The national news has been covering what's been going on in the US, but will they cover this here, and more importantly report on it!
since1981
My point is people of all race are being abused and killed by police. Only when a black person is killed is when everyone goes crazy. These protests should happen every time a person of any race is unjustifiably killed by a police.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/585152/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-race/
quercetum
Partisanship is unnecessary but police reform is. If it had been in a red state, it would be equally important. Japan’s peaceful protests may not get the message across and bring about change but at least it won’t bring about destruction.
quercetum
Why do you think that is?
Cogito Ergo Sum
Not to lessen the event in the US but My own " I can't breath" moment happened in this land of " wa".. Seeable Cancer ,as the one in the US can be taken care of, but a covert cancer, as the atrocities committed by the J authorities in anonymity is much harder to treat. I will shine some light on the hidden cruelty of the Japanese authorities too someday.
kurisupisu
I think that all of us believe that life matters.
If I see abuse of anyone at anytime there is a gamut of reactions that I feel.
On a personal level, black people have saved me from other black people attempting to do me harm because of my skin color and I have helped people of color from being abused by white people.
It is a natural thing to help others-at least for me.
Demonstrations where people actively seek to promote only one side or attempt to harm others is not going to engender a positive result.
Yubaru
Take this to heart;
PTownsend
Even in this era when genetic modifications to our species are increasing removing an individual's geographic traits inherited genetically for millennia, like skin color, would be a pretty serious challenge.
In the US an equitable and consistent application of existing laws forbidding discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, etc. must be a priority. Institutions must be held accountable to ensure that happens. Political leaders must accept responsibility to ensure that happens. The courts also must be held responsible. Individuals who want that to happen must get involved in political processes and most importantly vote in leaders who'll ensure that will happen.
carpslidy
Yubaru
Obviously you don't live in Japan either!
There are numerous protests all over the place at any given time! Even in Tokyo, around the PM's residence no less either!
Problem is they dont get media coverage like they would in other places. THAT is how the government manages to keep them "under control".
bass4funk
I couldn’t agree more, spot on!
sensei258
Why is there no rioting, looting, or Mass protests when police kill white people?
Artemis Rogers
They need to remember those who died or are currently being abused in Japan's immigration detention centers. They need to root out the authorities behind it and those that cover it up.
Dirk T
Because white Americans can protest statehouses with automatic rifles with impunity. Because white Americans can form white supremacy hate groups and march with torches in hand with impunity. Because the American power structure is by and large white.
Side note: the Japanese government will never allow its own power structure to be threatened by a successful population of immigrants.
Meiyouwenti
Black lives matter. Of course. But they are protesting in the wrong country. As for two high school girls taking part in the rally , I’m sure they are good hearted and well-meaning people misled by the adults who organized the protest. I hope they won’t be exploited.
LifeOutSideTheBox
I'm a minority in Japan but I choose rational over rash emotions.
I support law and justice which includes holding police accountable when they commit crimes.
I do not however buy into the BLM movement funded by globalist which is the only reason you have people in so many countries marching about this. They find using black community outrage as a quick way to stir things up and bring about new rules society would otherwise not accept.
This cop had a history of discipline issues, he likely knew the guy since they worked at the same place for years, and George was a convicted violent criminal who was high on two drugs and had covid at the time of his death confirmed by the autopsy. All pointed ignored because the selling division gets them much more than having people get along.
Even when there is a clear cut case of a cop attacking a minority due to suspected racism. We hold the person responsible and also look into his links in the department. But full blown race riots makes no sense and again it's because it's being heavily influenced to happen by outside strong globalist forces who want to tear down the systems that are in place.
WHO would love to see democracies torn apart is the question everyone should be asking.
Tensai
A very small showing, because people in Japan are too smart to believe the ridiculous "Black Lives Matter" propaganda. ALL lives matter.
Twin Cheeks
These people "protesting" in the photo don't even know what they are protesting. Must be really tough for these millennials living in the rough streets of Tokyo.
ulysses
So what is your suggestion?
That we ignore the constant discrimination against black men and women until we have a proportionate one against other races???
We might as well wait until kingdom come!!!!
kurisupisu
When the justice system in actuality forgives those who have broken laws, having served sentences,then we might see a change in police mentality towards people.
After all, the first thing that most policeman ask is “have you ever been in trouble with the police before ?”
The Japanese police will say “we don’t know that person “as if knowing a person makes him guilty of a crime in the present!
Thus is the policing system that actively assumes guilt by association.
The police treatment of Mr Floyd was in part, and failing of the way in which society sees rehabilitated criminals. Also, the police were called to an incident involving counterfeit money-For them it was just another case of dealing with a felon who had never been properly rehabilitated and that the treatment meted out,was as we can see fatal.
The conclusion is that association with criminality diminishes the rights of some people.
I would propose, to the police that it is not black lives, but criminal lives that don’t matter.
otherworldly
Japanese society never protests about the state of their affairs. Always they need some vision from other countries and then they just follow the pack. Japan would be such a great country if the people would work on making life for Japanese more fair and just, It seems they have given up on all their causes and believe the Government will take care of them 100 percent.
yakyak
That doesn't really look like a rally, more like a gathering.
Twin Cheeks
Pokemon Go event brings out more concerned residents.
kurisupisu
Japan also takes a light view of black life?
https://www.economist.com/banyan/2010/06/30/a-death-in-custody
Leo
I wonder if protesting is now seen as trendy. The in thing to do. Almost all the protesters are under 30.
Ah_so
Well done Japan on marching against the disgusting racism in other countries.
David Shawn Kanda
First of all, I would like to give a big thumbs up to Aretemis Rogers' comments.
Secondly, it doesn't matter what form racism takes, it comes down to the fact that any form of discrimination against anyone for any reason is unacceptable and we all need to learn to be more accepting of each other and our differences.
If it takes all of us to go out into the streets to make this point clear then I say we do so.
I believe the Japanese people who have joined in and are in support of this movement are aware of the xenophobic inconsistencies within society and want to see change.
Blacklabel
none of this is relevant to Japan.
Where is the protest to give permanent residents the right to return to their home/work in Japan instead of being blocked at the airport?
The ability of foreigners to be able to get a loan and a bank account?
The ability of foreigners to have real employment with actual rights that Japanese have.
Ability to rent a house or apartment without discrimination.
Foreigners sure could use that kind of support from Japanese, instead of the trendy BLM stuff they saw online.
kurisupisu
And plenty of lives that matter in detention centers in Japan...
Twin Cheeks
Nah, people in detention centers got there by their own doing.
Kumagaijin
I think in Japan, a "Father's Lives Matter" protest would make more sense.
NOMINATION
They do. Have you not paid attention to protests against U.S. bases in Okinawa? Same people on here who complain about those protests calling protestors paid actors, are on here supporting this protest. Life is easier for people when they are on the outside looking in.
Justin Person
There is money and power-seeking behind these protests. Follow the money. These kids in Japan are not really that concerned about the USA incident, but they are like all kids and they want to feel like they are a part of something important. Nothing of the same magnitude for the many blacks killed by other blacks. Nothing of the same magnitude for the many whites killed by blacks. Nothing of the same magnitude for the many non-blacks killed by police.
Bugle Boy of Company B
Meaningless waste of time in Japan.
Nator
I just want to make sure that the people repeating the "All lives matter" slogan are aware that it's a slogan used by alt-right racists in an attempt to drown out "Black lives matter" rather than being some kind of positive egalitarian call.
I'll be generous and assume that at least some of the people using it here are doing so without being aware of its background and connotations.
Personally, I think it should also be pretty clear that all lives cannot matter until black lives matter. First we raise everyone up to the same level, and then we can start raising that level for all.
bass4funk
Wow! That’s kind of....you know what.
Interesting.
Twin Cheeks
Any foreigner in any country who's not a citizen (born or naturalized) is subject to deportation for taking part into political protests. Do so at your own peril. But if they truly care as much as they say they do, it's a small price to pay.
kurisupisu
The protest is in Tokyo
The protest is about black lives
The majority of people protesting are Japanese
How do black lives count in Japan?
Courts here do not consider excessive force to be the cause of death
Please search for ‘Bubakar Awudu Suraj’
since1981
Reading through all the posts here, I have to say "Hats off to JT Moderator". I know this article must be a major headache to maintain. Best to you and to everyone else.
Everyone will have their own opinion and facts based on what they have experienced and/or seen/heard via SNS and the many left/right news agencies. I only hope that we all can come together, listen to and understand each other with open minds. Take all the bad points and change them to good.
No sense arguing each other's point as we all just keep going in circles. Let's just respect each other's thoughts and avoid another major protest/riot to which so many suffer from. Focus on the bad police, not the hard working citizens of your communities.
That said, this will be my last post on this article.
Tensai
All Lives Matter. Free speech is a great thing.
proxy
I am surprised that there are that many people in Japan that get all of their information from CNN.
Twin Cheeks
The people at this protest are not demanding anything. If they were pressed for their opinion, you would get a lot of "um...like...you know...like..."
blue in green
Social media, the puppet masters...
Protest because it makes you feels good, costs next to nothing,
and it's a good Saturday for it.
Virtue signally, at its finest.
Would you do this if you knew you were risking bodily harm?
No?
Then read a book.
Educated Lives Matter.
Twin Cheeks
Love the sign "Being not racist is not enough." Ha ha ha ha. Um, ok.
El Rata
Protesting for what? Supporting what? This is not America, Mr. Floyd wasn't murder here, Japan does not have anything to do do with it. By the way, judging by the photos of the protest it seems that CCP virus does not infect BLM protestors, what a woke virus!
therougou
Mostly foreigners and a few Japanese that tagged along, lol.
Gobshite
Ohh look, a bandwagon, let's jump on it.....
daninja
Of course all lives matter. "Black Lives Matter" is obviously directed at those who think they don't.
TheLongTermer
dont know what to think about this. Lots of buzzwords today like "white privilege, systemic racism, food deserts?" etc Denying somebody housing, work, and harassed for being a gaijin, seems systemic to me, and Ive experienced it all.
There is racism in Japan, Im sold on that, but this march, as many have posted, seems empty to me, kind of a disconnect, like lets look/blame this over here, without looking at the elephant in the room.
The world is not a binary place; the problems in the US are not the same as in Japan so to try and connect with them but excusing behavior that is worse, I feel its disengenious.
When Im in the US, I feel intoxicated by its freedom, and I see opportunity where others complain. That comes from the Japan experience.
Im m not one to try and change Japan, Im more interested in the chaos in my own country, as I know the unspoken but very real reality is, I will never be accepted in Japan, and having a country to call your own, its a treasure some dont have.
The answers are not easy, but they are there.
To all the gaijin who have suffered in custody, or died..RIP. This gaijin has connected to your struggle.
JeffLee
It's odd that we didn't seen anything on this scale after the death Abubakar Awudu Suraj. He was an African who died in immigration custody after Japanese officials restrained him handcuffs and stuffed a towel in his mouth. ("I can't breath".)
Raw Beer
Exactly, there is no evidence that Floyd's death was racially motivated.
Because it doesn't match the systemic racism narrative, which they are using to divide the people. So we generally never hear about those cases, which outnumber the police killing blacks...
DiscoJ_2
Agree with these two points more than anything else. It's totally meaningless gesture coming from the Japanese. Even the foreigners bringing it up here aren't doing anything useful (yeah yeah, neither am I), but I guess I can understand the motivation of solidarity with what's happening in the US. The Japanese should 'peacefully march' against the day-to-day discrimination foreigners face, or they should continue to be silent.
Bugle Boy of Company B
Oh, because you are Professor X and can read minds around the world? How about "All lives matter" because some people are tired of people taking "Black lives matter" too far?
Hello Kitty 321
A lot of people here seem to think that the Japanese do not protest about their own government but they are wrong. There are protests but they are completely ignored by the press so nobody (particularly outside Japan) hears about them.
Matt Carter
All lives matter!
Vinke
@daninja
Exactly. Black Lives Matter essentially means all lives matter, but Black Lives Matter needs to be shouted out, until all colors, all races are treated the same way and have the exact same rights. We can start shouting out All Lives Matter after the treatment is equally fair for all - now it simply is not. The balance is not there.
All still shaking their heads not totally understanding all of this, watch Ava Duvernays documentary 13th.
I believe you can find it on youtube now as well, so shouldn't be too much of an effort.
As for people asking "b-b-b-but why are they looting?", read this: https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2014/11/25/1347311/--Why-do-they-burn-down-their-own-neighborhood?fbclid=IwAR33IssRBNxGKlLtx5aR-ajAQ5P1LMdU9XD6hxR4jiKKOfsYHfl1VeUbHR0
Whilst it's not right, of course it's not, to break windows and loot, this article hopefully makes you understand where some of it stems from. There are sadly of course sad opportunists as well, who use the unrest as an opportunity to simply get easy money and nice goods for themselves.
(And before any nitpicker comments; yes, the article is from 2014, but I doubt the systems, the feelings, the treatment of people have changed much since then.)
rcch
...mostly foreigners and Japanese who have gaijin friends or somehow connected or influenced by the west ( especially young Japanese ). this is the 1% that cares about what,s happening in the US, because 99% of people in Japan feel like they don,t really need to care about it. Japanese history and American history are completely different... when it comes to police brutality and the inequality between whites and blacks, this is something that needs to change in the US. we should look at this protest that took place in Japan as just a form of support and solidarity, nothing more. ... ... about the protests and those talking about All Lives Matter and Black Lives Matter... someone once said ( what was his name, ah, yes, Morgan Freeman ) that if we want racism to disappear, we need to stop talking ( and thinking) about colors and races... we need to stop saying or thinking things like: “i have some amazing ( black ) friends” or “he,s such a cool ( white ) dude”... truth is, he said, even if we don,t think or feel like we,re being racists, the racism is automatically there just by thinking of the other person as a black, white, yellow or brown and not just as a human being. from that perspective, i understand why some people say that BLM can be dangerous. and this is getting to a point where people are afraid to say or do something because someone might call them racists / punish them.
Strangerland
On July 4th this year, let’s not forget what’s really important: All Countries Matter.
John Beara
What a circus.
Open Minded
I do not understand the people who complain that others speak up to stop racism.
Tangerine2000
Because they are not trying to stop racism.
Jimizo
@Tangerine2000
I’m very interested in the idea of the tide of public opinion turning against BLM. I’m honestly open to numbers. I try to approach these things with an open mind.
I had a look for the stats but couldn’t find anything. Can you point me in the right direction?
rcch
smh...... for all the sensitive people out there ( propaganda really does work btw ), everybody agrees that Black Lives Matter, but if we think outside of the box, we,ll realize that BLM ( as a group / organization / idea ) has the potential to be ( very ) racist... we need to be careful with what we,re dealing here...
longtimenosee
@since1981, you misread those stats you posted.
You're looking at totals when you need to take in account percentages.
It's not the total number that's important, but the probability of an event happening due to race that is important.
HJSLLS
It’s good to see that the world, not just the US, are becoming intolerant to systemic discrimination in its various forms. And that law enforcement need more regulation in terms of how they carry out policing. There have been too many acts of excessive violence that police carry out with impunity. The world is unifying against such abuse of power.
Yubaru
No one ever called them "paid actors", that is your incorrect assumption, there are some, paid protesters though, given a daily stipend for their troubles! That is an open and well known fact!
And I am hardly on the "outside looking in" either!
Vinke
Appalling and sad to see how many down votes comments that are against racism get here.
Are there really so many racist/ignorant/selfish/far-right/conservative/non-educated people here?
Kudos to everyone who have the strength to fight against this.
Yooki Imada
@Tangerine2000 : "Because they are not trying to stop racism."
But how do you stop racism?.... There is no place on earth that is racism free since time immemorial. Any suggestions what to do and where to go?
Note: These deaths (and abuse) under police custody do not happen everyday.... and few cases have happened in the past like the Rodney King beatings (in the 90's in L.A). A white woman... who called 911, was shot and killed the responding black cop in the same city (Minneapolis) years ago.... and not a hoot about racism.
Its Democrat run cities and states that are the problem....and not the entire U.S of A.
And certainly.....rallies, demonstrations, looting and/or burning down establishments ...will not eradicate racism.....not in a million years. Just saying.
Tangerine2000
@Yooki Imada
By and large, systemic racism does not exist. Therefore, it is impossible for people to eliminate it.
Most people who believe they are fighting 'racism' are actually referring to in-group preference.
Vinke
A: Well I think that all lives matter. We should care exactly equally at all times about everything. ALL houses matter.
B: I agree, all houses DO matter, but at the moment, the one on FIRE should get more attention.
A: But by saying that a burning house need attention, aren’t you saying all other houses DON’T matter?
B: No!
A: My house isn’t on fire, but I have dry rot, are you saying it shouldn’t be fixed?
B: It should! But the fire is very pressing.
A: Let’s say I put that house fire out, but MY house catches on fire, aren’t I entitled to water it then?
B: Of course! But it’s not the one on fire RIGHT NOW.
A: My house is near the one on fire. If I wet it down, embers won’t catch. Sensible!
B: That is completely outside the analogy.
A: Where’s that house’s owner anyway? Why do I gotta hose down his house for him ?!
B: He died in the fire.
(It's easy to think BLM is somehow against other races or simply about lifting POC's on a pedestal, but that's not what it's about. Please learn about the background of the movement, and when talking about US, learn about the history and systems in place there. BLM is essentially about all lives matter. )
Pukey2
I have to agree with some of the posters here. Please start by protesting about the injustices in Japan first. At least in European countries like UK, they are using protests to also highlight the racism in their own countries.
Yrral:
True. He may not have had a clean record, but when you're not putting up a fight, that doesn't give anyone the right to kill him.
oldman_13:
Quite a lot, unless you don't regard Hong Kong as part of China.
Yubaru
These protesters dont know or are unwilling to accept that there are any. Most Japanese dont really care much about people who may be abused by the police here, their mentality is, if they had to be stopped, or brought in by the cops for anything, "where there is smoke, there is fire" . Meaning that they figure they had to have done something to be in that situation, so they have to be guilty of something!
Dont try "forcing" the issues either, as it will rebound against you!
Razors and lasers
Love how in the first photo in the article, the policeman is glaring at the protester holding the Stop Police Brutality sign. Japanese police are some of the most self restrained police I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world. He has a right to feel a bit peeved at that sign.
Open Minded
@Tangerine
What is the difference of in-group preference vs. discrimination ?
What is the difference of discrimination vs. racism?
Tangerine2000
In-group preference is natural.
Discrimination is showing a bias against someone or something.
Racism means having discimination against someone for their race.
Vince Black
Japan has way more important things to protest about than this. It’s just a fashionable thing to do now. What’s the bet that the Japanese people protesting wouldn’t sit next to a black person on a train
pathetic
Nator
Hence me being generous and assuming that some of the people repeating it are doing so without being aware if its racist connotations, and they might want to be aware of them.
If people are aware of its connotations and still wish to keep repeating it, well, I guess that's up to them and their conscience.
Open Minded
@Tangerine
I am afraid you will need to face an inconvenient truth: you fit into the widely agreed definition of racism.
Then you have 2 options: 1) assume it or 2) do some personal reflection to change it.
Tangerine2000
Everything is racism these days.