Arab News Japan

A Japanese protester was assaulted by an English-speaking man in an Israeli t-shirt and a Donald Trump hat during a pro-Palestine protest in Kobe, according to an X post. 

The X user shared that the English-speaking man randomly started yelling at someone holding a sign. When trying to intervene, the X user was grabbed by both arms and pushed. A police report was filed immediately after. 

“I did not use any physical force and did not engage in any provocative behavior. I decided to report it because I think the participants are concerned. The participants followed the pre-established rules, such as “do not physically confront those who verbally abuse you,” “record videos,” and “if surrounded by multiple people, continue standing,” and cooperated with each other,” the X user said. 

本日、パレスチナへの暴力に反対するスタンディング（神戸）で、イスラエル国旗のTシャツとトランプの帽子を着用した英語話者の男性から、私が暴行を受けました。生田警察署に被害届を出し受理されました。強く両腕をつかまれ揺さぶられたり、突き飛ばされました。迷ったのですが、参加した方々は心配… pic.twitter.com/kVOYa2nLr4

— 疋田香澄（ひきたかすみ） (@umikasumi01) April 20, 2025

“We had been on alert due to previous incidents where Israeli tourists and Zionists had made threats such as “I’ll kill you” or “I’ll rape you” towards women and those who appeared to be Muslim. However, since physical violence occurred this time, we went to the nearby police station together,” the person added. 

The assaulter was arrested and detained at the police station. He didn’t run away from the protest because he claimed he was the victim, according to the X user.

“The video we took showed the scene of his assault, so it was proven that he was the one who assaulted me. If this had happened in the United States or Germany, I might have been the one arrested. I felt a little anxious, but the Japanese police treated me as the victim,” the user said. 

“For those who have never participated in a standing protest, you may feel anxious, but such extreme cases are rare, and in Kobe, staff have a proper manual for handling situations, so please rest assured,” the user added.