Arab News Japan

DUBAI: A demonstration taking place at Tokyo’s Shinjuku area on Saturday was disrupted by members of the Israeli Olympic Judo team. 

According to eyewitnesses, the athletes, who were in Japan to attend a training camp, were said to have been harassing and intimidating the protestors. 

One Japanese citizen, under the username Ikokka, said on Instagram that the demonstrators were “exercising their freedom of expression” and the Israelis were “trying to pick fights with them despite being asked repeatedly to leave.”

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by まりあ (@ikokka)

“Non-japanese protesters that jumped to their defence were also harassed,” she added. 

One of the Israeli Judoka, Sagi Muki, posted his own version of the story on social media, saying that he had “entered a demonstration of Hamas supporters” to explain to them that they “did not understand anything.” 

He then claimed that the protestors took his judo suit. 

This is not the first time such an instance takes place in the streets in Tokyo. During the first week of March, a similar incident took place with Japanese protester Yusuke Furusawa, who was peacefully protesting before being harassed by foreigners.

Read more: Foreigners harass lone Japanese man protesting against ‘Gaza genocide’