[/floatr]Japan Times: Mean streets feared under Tokyo's new safety law
Last month a group of activists called Dystopia Tokyo called a protest against what they described as a "Draconian" new city ordinance by conservative Gov. Shintaro Ishihara. Ishihara was revising an existing public safety law to allow "Orwellian" city-center crackdowns on street demos, public performances and the homeless, warned the group. "Even foreigners walking in commercial districts can be categorized as 'nuisances.' " Few Tokyoites seem terribly concerned: The March 22 demonstration in Shinjuku's Kabukicho district drew just a smattering of seasoned activists, including some non-Japanese and a lone cross-dresser who claimed even he wasn't safe from the cops. "Anybody the government doesn't like can be banned from the streets." Tokyo, however, insists that the revision, which was passed by the city assembly on March 27 and took effect on April 1, is toothless and simply an attempt to improve the "safety and security of shopping areas"..."I see it as political," says Tokyo lawyer Kanta Hagio..."The revision of the Public Safety and Security Ordinance reflects the will of the security authorities to control social movements. From the beginning, it has been backed up by the Tokyo Government and the police"...more...
