I protest

I'm not sure if "detain" is the proper verb here.

drag? remove? hogtie?

Why are Japanese allowed to march but Chinese aren't?

HEY gajinfo.. if this was China.. and there was protestors... the Chinese Govt would come in and shoot them all with AK-47's... dont be dumb

tug of Chinese arm competition

an ugly play.

It said they were detained for blocking the route, nothing said they can't protest as well. As a side note I think i've been to that HUB pub before.

The same thing or probably worse would happen to any Japanese national in China foolish eough to protest against one of their many anti-japan demonstrations.

I dare say these Chinese nationals can look forward to two or three weeks in the pen without a charge.

Why doesn’t this surprise me? Around the time of the Olympics (April 2008), Koreans were attacked by Chinese students in Seoul. At the time, these Koreans were protesting China’s human rights record. Here is an excerpt from Reuters: “At one point, the two groups clashed with Chinese students kicking an elderly South Korean protester and hurling rocks at a group that raised banners chastising Beijing.”

Reuters, April 27, 2008

"disputed islands"

It seems the disputes are between Japanese and Chinese men. What do Japanese and Chinese women have to say about it?

I think these chaps are paying for their arrogance. There are other ways to protest rather than potentially incite violence.

gaijininfo: "Why are Japanese allowed to march but Chinese aren't?"

Because the police are scared stiff of the ultra-rightists and would rather arrest anyone who stands in their way than the rightists themselves, and Tamogami and his crew most certainly fit into that group.

Wasabi67: "HEY gajinfo.. if this was China.. and there was protestors... the Chinese Govt would come in and shoot them all with AK-47's... dont be dumb"

There WERE protests in China, and no AK-47's went off.

Don't like Japan, move out. Don't like China, move out. Don't like USA, move out. It is a free world, isn't it?

And some of our enjoying life. Service provider is Korean, customer is Chinese and we are making money (even on a Sunday)and laughing at the others who seem to have no real purpose in life!

Classy photo. What a bunch of clowns.

Both sets of protesters - the Japanese extreme right wing Anti-China mob, and the chinese nationals - should be rounded up and put in Tokyo dome and allowed to fight in a version of "gang wars" - while the rest of us sit back and enjoy the show!

If there were only 2 Chinese protesting is that not a little heavy handed reaction from the police side? Chinese should be free to protest in Japan too. Japan is not China. The police in Japan are right wing extremists for the most part.

Don't like Japan, move out. Don't like China, move out. Don't like USA, move out. It is a free world, isn't it?

The world is far from free. And it's all but impossible for the common man to pick up and move to another country.

Police officers detain protesters

The guy on the left is no police officer. Police don't dress like that, not ever plain-clothes. He's just a regular guy.

gaijininfo: "Why are Japanese allowed to march but Chinese aren't?"

Huh...? As much as I disagree with just about every-single Anti-Common-Sense Law Japan has (and believe me, there are thousands..)

Practically anyone can hold a March or Rally, in Japan, if they file the proper paper-work with city hall and the local police.. And believe me, just come to Yokohama some-time on a Sunday or Holiday, and odds are you will catch a glimpse of one of their many wacko-groups, including all 10-members, marching with bull-horns and Japanese Navy flags, surrounded by 10-times that many cops...

All these black or white truck driving clowns in Tokyo, they don't get any permission to drive around the city spewing out terrible music. So don't see why they shouldn't be allowed to do the same despite nationality. I think the reaction by the police here is too much. The Chinese might have stupid opinions but they should have the right to have their opinions.

Freedom to march or protest must be protected in Japan. When the Chinese protest in Japan, the protesting needs to be blasted back in all forms of media at China so all the Chinese can see that we are FREE and they are not.

neogreenjapan: Agree with you on this one. The photo only shows two protesters, but you have to conclude they were far outnumbered if they were opposing thousands.

I would believe the reason the police removed the two chinese anti-protest protestors was for the sake of avoiding a violent clash. A protest march by thousands is already a tense situation, and the police are already on alert for when it turns ugly, if it turns ugly. The presence of two chinese who, rightly or wrongly, seek to oppose the protest can very easily turn the mob sentiment against themselves, which would result in a very public lynching.

The police arrested the two of them, removed them from the scene, and then released them immediately after without charges, according to other news sites.

The two chinese nationals were protesting against discrimination against chinese nationals IN japan, which is also a valid protest, by the way. Ultra-right wing japanese do, on occasion, make life difficult for chinese nationals living in japan.

The Chinese protest was to "interfere" with the Japanese one. Why would Chinese have the right to deny the Japanese the right to protest in their own country. I don't think these Chinese protesters know exactly how to protest and not get carried off. 1989 proved that.

Their demanded to release the Nobel Peace Prize laureate is noble but they must be very naive to demonstrate on a right-wing protest spot.

@Disillusioned If they did that in China but not in Japan!

The guy on the left is no police officer. Police don't dress like that, not ever plain-clothes. He's just a regular guy.

He is a cop. Undercover plain clothes cop. Hence the job description, 'undercover plain clothes'.

I find that a lot of the Chinese and North Koreans living here in Japan are extremely hypocritical. They are in Japan because they a) want a better lifestyle through work and salary, or b) are studying here because they cannot get as good study courses back home. Yet they get all nationalistic and support their governments territorial disputes and previous history with Japan ? They want the best of both worlds, with a better lifestyle offered in Japan and still demonstrate against Japan ??

still don't understand how people get so worked up over nationalism. are people that brainwashed from both Japan and China to be blindly listening to their governments and following them?

The guy on the left is no police officer.

yeah, looks like a Chinese man extending helping hand to his countryman :)

i agree the Chinese are hypocrites. Fortunately, they can protest in Japan and spend a couple of nights in jail. But if they protest in China they will face execution.

They all look good civilians to me. One police-look-alike man is a private guard working for corporation.

From this photo shown here gave me an impression that this young Chinese guy was engaged in illegal civil disorder, maybe, trying to harm people or property. And these Japanese citizens were trying to stop that.

If you were placed in this situation, wouldn't you do the same like they did? I would.

I am sure all the people in the photo doing the restraining are cops.

All countries have their lunatic fringe, both Japan and China. Most people don't care about the issue. Yawn....

Protesting in Japan only works if a) you are a member of the Yakuza supported right, or if you are doing something else like protesting against Nike's name being included in Yamashita Park (for a considerable amount of money). All other forms are just seen as troublesome. When we want to protest an opposing opinion to a and b, the people here just say "shoga nai". Shoga nai. In my opinion, the mentality and life style in this country goes beyond anything that outsiders can become a part of or truly fathom. The history of the country, the oppressiveness and restraints of living on the archepelago, WWII, and more. Outsiders choose to live here and must put up with alot. But the J-people also put up with a lot so having extra "protests" to them seems childish or troublesome. Everyone has a protest to make. Some just feel THEIR protest is more important than YOUR protest.

They must be undercover plain clothes cops for getting high marks from the Beijing Government.

Thousands of undercover plain clothes cops are here doing daily activities for CCP Governmnet as those of DPRK.

The HUB gaijin bar is actually quite good. Classic irony if you ask me...

Ha,ha,ha ! Well spotted my2 ! I never saw the Hub there at all ! Is that the side street around the corner from MacDonalds and the Roi Building ?

I find that a lot of the Chinese and North Koreans living here in Japan are extremely hypocritical. They are in Japan because they a) want a better lifestyle through work and salary, or b) are studying here because they cannot get as good study courses back home. Yet they get all nationalistic and support their governments territorial disputes and previous history with Japan ? They want the best of both worlds, with a better lifestyle offered in Japan and still demonstrate against Japan ??

NL

I think you will find there are chinese students like you described above in Uni`s all around the world.

I have absolutely no issue with someone wanting to better their life by living in another country. But what I cannot accept is for those people then to protest against the host nation where they are living. The pro-Pyongyang North Korean community in Japan is a typical example. If they want to support the North Korean government so strongly then they should return home and suffer basic lives like the rest of their fellow countrymen.

It doesn't seem like any of the cops in this picture know anything about restraining people. tossers...

I find that a lot of the Chinese and North Koreans living here in Japan are extremely hypocritical. They are in Japan because they a) want a better lifestyle through work and salary, or b) are studying here because they cannot get as good study courses back home. Yet they get all nationalistic and support their governments territorial disputes and previous history with Japan ? They want the best of both worlds, with a better lifestyle offered in Japan and still demonstrate against Japan ?? VEY WELL SAID NORTHLONDON!!! exactly what also wanted to say...

It is very likely that the Chinese men are being used to test Japanese reaction, perhaps, by a political organization in China. It is a strategy to entice Japan into reacting inappropriately, so that China, then, will have to take “measures” to teach Japan, again. Sound familiar?

So who took the photo? Why was someone just happened to be standing around with a camera to snap a photo? Who gave the photo to the media?

Moderator: The photo is from Reuters.

I think that some media-guy simply stuck close to the police and was on the spot.

Or could have been another cop/standby.

FYI, no law-enforcement/military, etc anywhere in the world will allow an unknown entity to restrain a "suspect"or even offer help, for the simple reason if the civilian injures the "suspect" he will get nailed(possibly fired).

Never mind that the helper can turn on the law enforcement officer, etc.

As was said if a demonstration has been registered and approved the cops will arrest ANYONE trying to disrupt that demonstration.

Part of registering the demonstration includes police protection to ensure that you can exercise your "right to freedom of speech".

gajinfo :

Why are Japanese allowed to march but Chinese aren't?

gajinfo - - I think it has NOTHING to do with the anti- march protestors being "chinese" . . . In order to have a 'protest' march organizers get permission for larger groups of people to walk certain streets. . .. These Chinses guys are protesting without properly applying for that permit . . .. I recollect similar problems when the pro-life marches occurred in Canada. . . And most will remember images of anti-war protestors beging dragged away by the National Guard in the States . . It is typical sloppy journalism of JT to give only half the story to sensationalize an event !!!!

as they try to block an anti-Chinese march in Tokyo on Saturday.

Moderator: Please read the top story to the left of the photo.

.OssanAmerica at

The same thing or probably worse would happen to any Japanese national in China foolish eough to protest against one of their many anti-japan demonstrations.

. As a matter of fact, something I just picked up on another news source, yesterday CHINESE managers of a mine in Zambia --- Chinese-run Collum Coal Mine - - - shot and wounded 12 miners who were protesting against poor working conditions, police said on Saturday. The police in the picture above are operating WITHIN the law. There is a big difference.