June 3, 2026
Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair and House of Councillors member Yamazoe Taku on June 1 lodged a protest with the Metropolitan Police Department regarding excessive security during “No to War” and “Protect the Constitution” demonstrations and rallies taking place around the Diet building.
House of Representatives member Arita Yoshifu (Centrist Reform Alliance) and House of Councillors members Fukushima Mizuho (Social Democratic Party) and Takara Sachika (Okinawa Whirlwind) joined Yamazoe in submitting the protest.
The police have been forcing participants to take detours and physically preventing them from crossing streets even when the lights are green. They have also been intimidating demonstrators with abusive language.
Yamazoe said, “The police are preventing rally participants from using the sidewalks around the Diet building without legal basis, and the restrictions on crosswalks are excessive.”
Article 2, Paragraph 2 of the Police Act states that police officers in the performance of their duties shall act impartially and fairly and shall not abuse their authority in any way that interferes with the rights and freedoms of individuals which are guaranteed by the Constitution of Japan.
The lawmakers claimed that the excessive security measures around the Diet building violate this provision. They demanded that the roads leading to the main gate of the Diet building be kept open so that both participants and passersby can walk freely; the police stop their intimidating behavior; and pedestrian restrictions within subway stations near the Diet building be eased.
House of Representatives member Arita Yoshifu (Centrist Reform Alliance) and House of Councillors members Fukushima Mizuho (Social Democratic Party) and Takara Sachika (Okinawa Whirlwind) joined Yamazoe in submitting the protest.
The police have been forcing participants to take detours and physically preventing them from crossing streets even when the lights are green. They have also been intimidating demonstrators with abusive language.
Yamazoe said, “The police are preventing rally participants from using the sidewalks around the Diet building without legal basis, and the restrictions on crosswalks are excessive.”
Article 2, Paragraph 2 of the Police Act states that police officers in the performance of their duties shall act impartially and fairly and shall not abuse their authority in any way that interferes with the rights and freedoms of individuals which are guaranteed by the Constitution of Japan.
The lawmakers claimed that the excessive security measures around the Diet building violate this provision. They demanded that the roads leading to the main gate of the Diet building be kept open so that both participants and passersby can walk freely; the police stop their intimidating behavior; and pedestrian restrictions within subway stations near the Diet building be eased.
