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Taro Yamamoto (45), the representative of the Reiwa Shinsengumi who delivered a street speech at Ebashi in Minami, Osaka, was requested by the Osaka Prefectural Police South Office to cancel on the site, and the video was turned into a scandal that was spread online. There is.
Mr. Yamamoto claims that it is based on the Road Traffic Law, but Ebashi is only discussed in places with many people. We spoke with the Deputy Chief of South Station and Mr. Yamamoto about the cancellation request.
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Mr. Taro Yamamoto
“It is not a significant obstacle to trafficking, it is freedom of expression and political activity.”
“Please stop the street speech.” A police officer from the Southern Police Station calls Mr. Yamamoto, who delivered a speech near the Ebashi railing on the morning of October 12, 2020 with a speaker. However, Mr. Yamamoto refused to come down from the stage and said, “Please tell me why I stopped.”
That day, a referendum was announced calling for the approval or disapproval of the Osaka Metropolitan Plan, and Mr. Yamamoto, who took over from Reiwa, set up a booth and two monitors and held the microphone from a point of view contrary to the Metropolitan Plan. I appealed to passersby.
However, several officers from the Southern Police Station rushed there and asked Reiwa staff to cancel the speech. In response, Mr. Yamamoto shouted into a microphone: “What is the legal basis?” He insisted that the police would not answer anything and complained: “It is an obstacle”. The scene turned into a noisy atmosphere as Mr. Yamamoto’s supporters flew towards the police. It was Monday through Friday, so there weren’t that many people, but passersby seemed surprised.
Police officers repeatedly called for “halt” and discussions with staff continued on the street. Mr. Yamamoto used a microphone to insist that it was not a significant obstacle to traffic and that it was based on article 77 of the Road Traffic Law, and that it was free for political activities and expression.
The exchange between Mr. Yamamoto and the police lasted less than 10 minutes, and after that, Mr. Yamamoto began to speak about the opposition to the city concept while the police and staff continued to speak.
Even if you request permission to give a street speech, the police will not accept it if there is a local request.
However, Mr. Yamamoto said that the street address was canceled and explained that “I say it for myself and Mike took it up.” He stressed that it wasn’t a street address about talking to Mike about opposition to the concept of the city, and he was arguing.
Various companies, such as sports newspapers, covered Mr. Yamamoto’s speech and posted a video of the problem. These videos are spreading on Twitter, including videos distributed by Reiwa Shinsengumi, and various opinions are being received online.
There have been a number of criticisms against the police, centered on Mr. Yamamoto’s supporters, “I am afraid my freedom of expression will soon be deprived”, “This country’s democracy is gone.” Do not lose “.
On the other hand, there are many questions and criticisms of Mr. Yamamoto, and there are voices like “It is not good to do it without permission” and “Even if you insist without observing the rules, many people will not agree”. .. There was even a disappointing opinion that Mr. Yamamoto had gone to the trouble of doing it for the performance.
According to J-CAST News interviewed at the South Police Station on October 13, Mr. Yamamoto tried to request permission to give a speech on the street when his agent visited the police station on the 9th. However, the highway administrator and the Locals requested that we not give them permission to use Ebashi because it is dangerous because there are so many people passing by, so we asked for the request form. He also requested that the location of the speech be changed, and the agent was convinced and sent back.
However, on the 12th, an officer who was alert in the surrounding area found Mr. Yamamoto giving a speech after 10 am, and other officers rushed inside after receiving the report.
On the situation at that time, the deputy director of the department said in the interview:
The basis for the cancellation request is also Article 77 of the Road Traffic Law, “It is dangerous if people get together.”
While warning, Mr. Yamamoto interrupted the speech. However, after exchanging for about 5 to 10 minutes, Mr. Yamamoto resumed the speech. Mr. Yamamoto delivered the speech without listening to their attention. I’m doing it to the end and I don’t realize I stopped it. “
Mr. Yamamoto said that he finished his speech around noon that day as originally planned, cleaned the installed monitors, left, and returned around 1:00 p.m.
The legal basis for requesting the cancellation of a speech is Article 77, Paragraph 1-4 of the Traffic Law. It states that if people are concentrated on the road and have a significant impact on traffic in general, the police must obtain a conditional permit to take measures to prevent the danger. It also applies to section 15-4 of the Osaka Prefecture Road Traffic Regulations, which stipulates that permission from the police is required to make speeches that draw people onto the road.
With regard to Mr. Yamamoto’s claim that he is an obstacle to political activities, he says the following.
“If you start a speech without permission, you have to warn. It is said that it is fine under the public elections law at the time of the election, but I think there are few people who have addressed in the past because there are many people. people gather, Some people can be pushed and fall into the river, or even jump. “
He spoke about whether to investigate for violations of the Traffic Law.
“I am a representative of a party that also has seats in the Diet, so I would like to treat it with care. As the story has grown, I am thinking of considering it with the Prefectural Police Headquarters.”
“The act of forcibly requesting cancellation is an unfair exercise of public authority.”
Mr. Yamamoto’s secretary commented in an interview on October 13 about the bases as if the agent was convinced and returned from the police and the road traffic law mentioned by the South Office.
“It is not true that he was convinced that I returned. I accepted that I would not use the tram, which was requested by the South Police Station, and even prepared for the direct placement of the acoustic equipment, which takes time to set up. As you know, freedom of political activity is also recognized in the Constitution, which is the highest law, and basically permission is not always required on public roads. Road Traffic Law, article 77, paragraph 1 Then, the acts that require permission are stipulated, and in No. 4 permission is requested for acts that “significantly affect traffic in general”, but we are general about the relevant municipal declaration that you pointed out. We do not believe that this is an act that has a significant impact on traffic, we are always prepared and responding to the announcement of the municipality, and even in the situation that day, “it will significantly affect traffic in general.” This is clearly not the case. The Osaka Prefecture Road Traffic Regulations stipulate procedures based on the provisions of Article 77, paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Law, and the relevant city declaration is Article 77, paragraph 1 of the same law. . We believe that it will not apply as long as it does not have the permission of No. 4. We are carrying out missionary activities in the streets in accordance with the Supreme Law and the Road Traffic Law, and the act of requesting the forced cancellation by the South Office en “It is an unfair exercise of public power. I kept asking for” legal grounds for cancellation “at the site, but the South Office did not answer anything. Of course, it cannot be answered. That’s all. I have no choice but to exercise unreasonable pressure. “
As to whether there is a danger of people falling into the river if people gather, it says this.
“I think most people get together is the last time there is a boom in the incoming economy. People fall into the river due to the congestion in Ebashi, which is as fast as the Hanshin Tigers championship.” It can happen in such a case, and it is an unthinkable situation now that the incoming economy that depends on external demand has evaporated, and it can be said that it is a finding that ignores the current situation. Osaka when the economy was good is now in decline However, I chose Ebashi as a place to symbolize it. The streets of Ebashi around 10am on weekdays when we made an announcement in the city are sadly quiet and your point is not correct at all. Needless to say, furthermore, we have not made any public announcement about the city’s announcement that day, so there is no reason to be crowded, and indeed that is the situation. not”
(Hiroyuki Noguchi, J-CAST News Editorial Department)
