On December 19, 2012, which was when Professor Shimoji and another man were supposed to be released from detention, Osaka District Court decided to extend the period of detention. Professor Shimoji’s detention was extended by nine days, which makes the end of his detention December 28th.
For the previous letters from Professor Masaki Shimoji who has been jailed since December 9th for opposing the debris incineration in Osaka, please refer to the following links:
http://fukushimavoice-eng.blogspot.com/2012/12/unjust-arrest-of-professor-opposing.html
http://fukushimavoice-eng.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-second-letter-from-jailed-professor.html
http://fukushimavoice-eng.blogspot.com/2012/12/third-letter-from-jailed-professor.html?spref=tw
Last night I thought about why the police would do something this stupid. Of course, I already know why, but I decided to reexamine it, taking into consideration what I have seen and heard since my arrest.
In summary, the police (or actually Public Security Division 3) cannot help being afraid of citizens who protest the police.
On October 5th, they unjustly arrested Mr. A in front of the KEPCO headquarter. A police officer fell on his own, but he lied that he was “pushed down” by Mr. A and arrested him. They probably thought they would scare citizens participating in protest activities a little, for the sake of KEPCO which offers lucrative positions to former police officials.
However, surprisingly to the police, an unexpected chain of events happened.
First, the decisive moment of travesty of justice was publicly videotaped.
Secondly, voices of anger towards this unjust action of the police were widely spread.
They must have been flustered with the continuing protest in front of Temma police station and the criticism of police coming in from all over Japan. They kept responding in an even more abominable and insincere fashion, which led to more criticism coming in.
They actually had one chance to think it over. All they had to do was release Mr. A and back down. However, the more foolish someone is, the more they rush into a huge gamble in order to recover the loss. Police began to commit a reckless act of arresting supporters of Mr. A, one after another. Many of Mr. A’s supporters and those who were calling people to protest the police got arrested. Instead of thinking over their own bad deed, they, as offenders, became angry at the victims. They should be pitied.
At least one of the background of a series of oppressive acts was the protest against the unjust arrest on October 5th. In regards to this matter, I would like to confirm at least two points.
(1) There is a videotape that captured the decisive moment of travesty of justice. It’s available on the Internet. There is a blog that analyzed still images from the video. Please share this with as many people as possible.
Videotape that captured the decisive moment of travesty of justice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9wCH6IFZMM&feature=youtu.be
(Around 2 minute and 40 seconds into the video, it appears that a police officer falls on top of a woman who begins to scream about the pain. Mr. A, in a beige shirt and having been questioned by the police officer in the beginning of the video, is pulled down on top of the police officer. After this, other police officers pull Mr. A away and lead him towards the police car).
A blog analyzing still images from the video:
http://portirland.blogspot.com/2012/10/hangenpatu-demo-taiho-kanden-houdou.html
(The woman who fell describes that she fell first and the police officer, who was grabbing Mr. A, tripped over her leg and fell on his bottom, still grabbing Mr. A).
However, they might simply say the police officer “abruptly grabbed the sleeve when he was pushed down.” So, please share with as many people as possible the following explanation of circumstances leading up to the October 5th arrest of Mr. A.
(2) There is the fact that police suddenly rushed out on October 5th, while remaining quiet during the whole month of September in front of KEPCO headquarters. In August, there was a protest against their unjust interference of the protest action, which revealed lies in their words in the eyes of the public. Many present there began to call aloud, “Go home, police.” This was streamed live on the Internet, leading to even more criticism. They couldn’t stand the cold look by citizens, so they stopped all the interference during the month of September. However, that totally changed on October 5. Suddenly, once more, many police officers were present and closing in on the citizens, intimidating them with violent words. On some occasions, a single citizen would be surrounded by multiple police officers. “This feels different today” was what was perceived by many people that day.
It was under these circumstances that the travesty of justice was carried out. A violent person “happened” to push down a police officer when many police officers “happened” to be present at the scene. Is this how it went? No way. Anybody would think that “From the beginning, the police were going to arrest one person.”
(I have written a summary of these events in the number 11 issue of the Internet magazine called “Kesaran Pasaran.” Please read it if you are interested. http://www.kesaranpasaran.net/)
Let’s step back and consider “the possibility that Mr. A pushed the police officer down.” What is the basis for this? It’s nothing more than the statement by the police officer himself that “he was pushed down.” The arrest itself was unjust but how could they justify detainment, let alone indictment.
Police (actually Public Security Division 3) are simply being obstinate; in other words it’s nothing more than kids picking a fight. All I can say is that It’s truly shameful. Those being tested are not those of us who got arrested but actually the National Security Division 3 and the security division of Osaka Prefectural Police.
(Written on December 17, 2012)
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Message from Professor Shimoji
“I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who is pouring love to me just as usual or even more than usual even though I am in jail. I love all of you more than ever.”
“Letters can be sent to the jail in a regular manner despite censorship. If you like, please send me letters. I would like to know anything that is going on outside the jail as much as possible.”
Address: Masaki Shimoji
Detention Facilities
Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarter
3-1-11 Otemae
Chuo-ku, Osaka 540-8540
Japan
〒540-8540
大阪市中央区大手前３丁目１番１１号
大阪府警察本部 留置施設内
下地真樹
Original Japanese article can be found in the following link:
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/garekitaiho1113/e/ed6af0424c23c222e282bc07da34e195
Video of Professor Masaki Shimoji protesting against the incineration of disaster debris in Osaka on August 30, 2012.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm-FPZ-9Zi0
We are collecting individual and group statements from all over the world in support of freeing Professor Shimoji. Please send them with your name, name of your organization if any, and your address to frcsrus@gmail.com.
For the previous letters from Professor Masaki Shimoji who has been jailed since December 9th for opposing the debris incineration in Osaka, please refer to the following links:
http://fukushimavoice-eng.blogspot.com/2012/12/unjust-arrest-of-professor-opposing.html
http://fukushimavoice-eng.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-second-letter-from-jailed-professor.html
http://fukushimavoice-eng.blogspot.com/2012/12/third-letter-from-jailed-professor.html?spref=tw
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Please sign this petition to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Associate Professor Masaki Shimoji.
＊＊＊
Consideration on Why Unjust Arrests Continue
by Masaki Shimoji
Last night I thought about why the police would do something this stupid. Of course, I already know why, but I decided to reexamine it, taking into consideration what I have seen and heard since my arrest.
In summary, the police (or actually Public Security Division 3) cannot help being afraid of citizens who protest the police.
On October 5th, they unjustly arrested Mr. A in front of the KEPCO headquarter. A police officer fell on his own, but he lied that he was “pushed down” by Mr. A and arrested him. They probably thought they would scare citizens participating in protest activities a little, for the sake of KEPCO which offers lucrative positions to former police officials.
However, surprisingly to the police, an unexpected chain of events happened.
First, the decisive moment of travesty of justice was publicly videotaped.
Secondly, voices of anger towards this unjust action of the police were widely spread.
They must have been flustered with the continuing protest in front of Temma police station and the criticism of police coming in from all over Japan. They kept responding in an even more abominable and insincere fashion, which led to more criticism coming in.
They actually had one chance to think it over. All they had to do was release Mr. A and back down. However, the more foolish someone is, the more they rush into a huge gamble in order to recover the loss. Police began to commit a reckless act of arresting supporters of Mr. A, one after another. Many of Mr. A’s supporters and those who were calling people to protest the police got arrested. Instead of thinking over their own bad deed, they, as offenders, became angry at the victims. They should be pitied.
At least one of the background of a series of oppressive acts was the protest against the unjust arrest on October 5th. In regards to this matter, I would like to confirm at least two points.
(1) There is a videotape that captured the decisive moment of travesty of justice. It’s available on the Internet. There is a blog that analyzed still images from the video. Please share this with as many people as possible.
＊＊＊
Videotape that captured the decisive moment of travesty of justice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9wCH6IFZMM&feature=youtu.be
(Around 2 minute and 40 seconds into the video, it appears that a police officer falls on top of a woman who begins to scream about the pain. Mr. A, in a beige shirt and having been questioned by the police officer in the beginning of the video, is pulled down on top of the police officer. After this, other police officers pull Mr. A away and lead him towards the police car).
A blog analyzing still images from the video:
http://portirland.blogspot.com/2012/10/hangenpatu-demo-taiho-kanden-houdou.html
(The woman who fell describes that she fell first and the police officer, who was grabbing Mr. A, tripped over her leg and fell on his bottom, still grabbing Mr. A).
＊＊＊
However, they might simply say the police officer “abruptly grabbed the sleeve when he was pushed down.” So, please share with as many people as possible the following explanation of circumstances leading up to the October 5th arrest of Mr. A.
(2) There is the fact that police suddenly rushed out on October 5th, while remaining quiet during the whole month of September in front of KEPCO headquarters. In August, there was a protest against their unjust interference of the protest action, which revealed lies in their words in the eyes of the public. Many present there began to call aloud, “Go home, police.” This was streamed live on the Internet, leading to even more criticism. They couldn’t stand the cold look by citizens, so they stopped all the interference during the month of September. However, that totally changed on October 5. Suddenly, once more, many police officers were present and closing in on the citizens, intimidating them with violent words. On some occasions, a single citizen would be surrounded by multiple police officers. “This feels different today” was what was perceived by many people that day.
It was under these circumstances that the travesty of justice was carried out. A violent person “happened” to push down a police officer when many police officers “happened” to be present at the scene. Is this how it went? No way. Anybody would think that “From the beginning, the police were going to arrest one person.”
(I have written a summary of these events in the number 11 issue of the Internet magazine called “Kesaran Pasaran.” Please read it if you are interested. http://www.kesaranpasaran.net/)
Let’s step back and consider “the possibility that Mr. A pushed the police officer down.” What is the basis for this? It’s nothing more than the statement by the police officer himself that “he was pushed down.” The arrest itself was unjust but how could they justify detainment, let alone indictment.
Police (actually Public Security Division 3) are simply being obstinate; in other words it’s nothing more than kids picking a fight. All I can say is that It’s truly shameful. Those being tested are not those of us who got arrested but actually the National Security Division 3 and the security division of Osaka Prefectural Police.
(Written on December 17, 2012)
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Message from Professor Shimoji
“I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who is pouring love to me just as usual or even more than usual even though I am in jail. I love all of you more than ever.”
“Letters can be sent to the jail in a regular manner despite censorship. If you like, please send me letters. I would like to know anything that is going on outside the jail as much as possible.”
Address: Masaki Shimoji
Detention Facilities
Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarter
3-1-11 Otemae
Chuo-ku, Osaka 540-8540
Japan
〒540-8540
大阪市中央区大手前３丁目１番１１号
大阪府警察本部 留置施設内
下地真樹
Original Japanese article can be found in the following link:
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/garekitaiho1113/e/ed6af0424c23c222e282bc07da34e195
Video of Professor Masaki Shimoji protesting against the incineration of disaster debris in Osaka on August 30, 2012.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm-FPZ-9Zi0
＊＊＊
Statement from Dr. Helen Caldicott in support of Professor Shimoji
Professor
Shimoji is a brave and moral man who is worried about his students and
future generations. It is imperative that he be supported in his quest
to halt incineration of radioactive waste in Osaka and elsewhere in
Japan as this will add to the misery, sickness and deaths that will be
the Fukushima legacy.
Shimoji is a brave and moral man who is worried about his students and
future generations. It is imperative that he be supported in his quest
to halt incineration of radioactive waste in Osaka and elsewhere in
Japan as this will add to the misery, sickness and deaths that will be
the Fukushima legacy.
Helen Caldicott
ヘレン・カルディコット博士からの声明文
下地教授は、学生や次世代の人々を気遣う、勇敢で道徳心のある人物です。大阪あるいは日本のその他の地域において、苦しみ、病、死といった福島の遺産を増やすことからも、下地教授の追求する放射能汚染瓦礫焼却停止を、私達がサポートすることは必須です。
ヘレン・カルディコット
We are collecting individual and group statements from all over the world in support of freeing Professor Shimoji. Please send them with your name, name of your organization if any, and your address to frcsrus@gmail.com.
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