Free the arrestees! Protest against police state and capitalist summit! Take simultaneous actions on Saturday 12th July (en) (日本語)

Three of our friends were unjustly arrested at the demonstration against the G8 summit on 5th July 2008. One of the arrested (vid,ja) is an indymedia activist who is organizing sound actions and a member of the G8 Media Network. The police used overwhelming violence. For instance, they stopped the sound truck forcefully, three [1] [2] [3] policemen broke the truck window with their clubs, (vid,ja) and they viciously dragged out the driver. This situation was exposed as Japanese police brutality once again, reported by independent media.

While most of the Japanese media coverage focussed on the summit, a homeless activist in Osaka was quietly, unfairly arrested on the 4th. Allegedly, his mobile phone ownership and user had different names. Even though his group from Osaka had planned to come and join the poverty and labour unit of the counter G8 Action Network, they cannot because they must rescue him, just after the liberation of another activist who was also arrested for a tiny bureaucratic mistake last month. All of these bureaucratic errors are unreasonably trivial things. This is obviously suppression of dissent.

We denounce the repression at the 5th July sound demonstration and of the homeless activists (ja) by the police, and demand immediate release of all. On 12th July, simultaneous protest actions will be taken at 3pm (GMT+9) in Sapporo, Tokyo, Osaka, etc. against police capitalism. We appeal for international solidarity! Take action simultaneously! Protest against unjust arrests, police violence and the capitalist summit.

July5th Relief Association for Sapporo Sound Demonstration (ja) (j5solidarity (at) riseup.net), in solidarity with Indymedia Japan.

VIDEO: cameraman arrested [file] | policemen smash window [file] | Indymedia activist arrested/Declare Independence
STATEMENTS: international activists | Lawyers (WATCH) | No Vox   G8 LINKS
G8 MEDIA: G8 Media Network [video] | No-G8 | Alt-G8 | IMC Japan | Teiko (ru) | J5 Solidarity (ja)

Protest statement against J5 police suppression / 7・5弾圧抗議声明(日本語)

One of the arrested is ALSO an indymedia activist, PROTEST!

2008/07/08(火) 14:28

Though the peacewalk was permitted to include a sound demonstration where some people get on the loading platform of the track for manipulating sound systems, four people were arrested in the situation where riot police and secret officers were mixed together for an attack on the demonstration. The Challenge the G8 Summit, "Peacewalk of 10,000" was done in Sapporo City on July 5. Various people participated in the rally held in Odori Park, and the walk became large-scale, eventually reaching 5,000 people.

However, with extraordinary violence, police charged the sound demonstration in the peacewalk where people gathered around music being played from the loading platform of a truck built up with sound systems. Though the peacewalk was permitted to include a sound demonstration where some people get on the loading platform of the truck for manipulating sound systems, four people were arrested in the situation where riot police and secret officers worked together and attacked the demonstration.

The police tried to justify their violence, that concentrated on the sound demonstration done within the limits of the officially accepted application to demonstrate, with the charges of "Violation of the Road Traffic Law", "Violation of the Sapporo City demonstration ordinance", and "crime of obstructing the performance of official duty". The arrestees are just DJs playing or driving the truck, so they have no reason to be arrested. The Reuters camera person was accused of kicking the police, but media related personnel, one of eyewitnesses, deny it.

We appeal for international solidarity in denouncing the repression at the 5th July sound demonstration and of the homeless activists (ja) by the police, and in demanding immediate release of all. On 12th July, simultaneous protest actions will be taken at 3pm (GMT+9) in Sapporo, Tokyo, Osaka, etc. against police capitalism. Take action simultaneously! Protest against unjust arrests, police violence and the capitalist summit. Thank you to the network of Anti-G8 protesters from various autonomous groups and collectives who already held a silent protest in front of the Japanese Embassy in Manila, Tuesday noon 8th July, by unfurling banners denouncing police violence and corporate free trade at the G8 Summit.

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