今日は、現長居公園テント村の位置にテント村が移転した日である。そこは2000年8月6日に当時の仲間の会を準備した支援者らが100人くらいの園内野宿者と共に寄り合いをもった後、寄り合い場として使われてきた幾つかのテント小屋に隣接する場であった。 あれから、5年の歳月が経っていった… 口約束の意地汚い大阪市のやり口は何一つ変わらず、奴らのより一層陰湿な暴力は「1.30靭・大阪城公園など野宿者コミュニティ同時多発テロ攻撃」以後も何ら変更は無い。奴らが長年やりたかった顕在化した大規模暴力が加えられただけだ。あの大規模同時多発テロ攻撃に参加した役人どもに「良い役人」がいるという「希望的観測」など無意味であることを現場で感じなかったならば、余程お人よしだろう。考えてもみるがいい、本当に良心があるなら、「風邪をひきました」などの理由をつけて休み、参加しないという方法もあったのではないか。にもかかわらず、暴力を行使するその現場に例え渋々だろうとノコノコ参加した役人どもに「良い役人」などいるはずが無いのだ。度合いの差こそあれ、奴らはテロ攻撃を担い、警備員を前面に立たせて盾とし、暴挙を貫徹した大阪市と警察権力の手であり足であったという事を悔い改めるまでは家庭に帰っても単なる「一般市民」なんかではない。度合いの差こそあれ、テロリストである。奴らをグレーゾーンに置いてやるという「慈悲」はまたしても我々の現実を暴力で覆われることになるのだということを知らねばならない。厳冬期の寒空の下の寄る辺無き個々人から居住空間を奪い、その上、全治1カ月近くの骨折した者や倒れた者、役人どもやガードマンの暴力による多数の負傷者を積極的に生んだ加害者がマスコミなどに被害者面するオゾマシサには吐き気すら覚える。また、警備員もまた被害者であったという言葉には、半分うなずけるが、積極的に暴行を働いた警備員もいたことをその事で薄めないでいただきたい。奴ら戦犯を野放しにすることは戦後の日本列島を勝手に統治した政府のやって来たことと何ら変わらない恐ろしい現実を生むことだろう。攻撃と追及の手を緩めるな。奴らは微笑みながらいつも戦意解消を求めてくる一方で確実に攻撃目標に攻撃を遂行し確実に打撃を与える。長居闘争を今一度振り返っていただきたい。現仲間の会はどう考えるかは知らないが、闘いの意志を取り下げて、もしくは闘わずしてあの場を維持できたと勘違いする事だけは遠慮いただきたい。「口約束」の「確約」など何の意味も無かったことは2000年8月より2001年11月末の最後の闘士が失踪するまでの状況を見知る元現闘団メンバーが訴えてきたことだ。2001年11月、「再建の過程で長居を切ろう」と決定した個々人たちと袂を分かち、長居公園テント村とそこに集ってきていた元野宿者や野宿の仲間たちと共にあるためにも周辺部などの野宿の仲間たちとの繋がりを再度模索し、それを現テント村の再建につなげた元現闘団メンバーがいなければ、今の長居公園テント村があったかどうかは疑問だ。ともかく、あの5年前の2.14鍵声明を受けた自主移転後、のじれんなどから集まった連合現闘団による輝かしい闘い（－3.16）、そしてEAG＝東アジア競技会前のリベロ警備と南部方面公園事務所などの画策での重機による3戸のテント小屋の破壊（5.9）やEAG前の連続テント小屋放火テロ攻撃（http://www.geocities.co.jp/WallStreet-Bull/8932/may9_19nagai.html 写真参照）後の衰退期、そしてEAE後の「長居切捨て」、2001年11月から1月までの再建過程、2002年2月から7月までの対ワールドカップ防衛、園内襲撃の被災者20名余をテント村に収容してのテント増築、それ以降の工事を名目とした水攻め土攻め攻撃の延長線上にある2003年4月25日のテント村囲い込み監視後、現テント村に至っている。闘わずして座して待つ歴史は長居公園テント村には無いのだということを記憶の片隅にでも置いていただきたい。
http://www.geocities.co.jp/WallStreet-Bull/8932/tousou_document.html
2月14日 建設局・鍵が公園管理事務所の職員を伴って、シェルター前現闘本部を訪れ、公開の場で①園内にある50張りのテントについては強制排除は行わない②新規テント、シェルターの問題については相互理解を深めるための話し合いを行っていく――と回答、これを現場レベルで確約させた。 しかしながら、慎重に構える必要あり。 磯村は不気味な沈黙を守っている。
2月15日 昨日の確約により、朝8時より自主解体と元の場所への移動作業などを行う。 シェルター前からは撤収。 以前の集会場所であるスーパー「ライフ」筋向い側園内へ移動。
http://www.geocities.co.jp/WallStreet-Bull/8932/tousou_document.html
2月14日 建設局・鍵が公園管理事務所の職員を伴って、シェルター前現闘本部を訪れ、公開の場で①園内にある50張りのテントについては強制排除は行わない②新規テント、シェルターの問題については相互理解を深めるための話し合いを行っていく――と回答、これを現場レベルで確約させた。 しかしながら、慎重に構える必要あり。 磯村は不気味な沈黙を守っている。
2月15日 昨日の確約により、朝8時より自主解体と元の場所への移動作業などを行う。 シェルター前からは撤収。 以前の集会場所であるスーパー「ライフ」筋向い側園内へ移動。
★野宿者のテント・小屋に対する強制撤去に反対の署名をお願いします！
１月３０日、大阪市は西区・靭公園東園全域内の約２０軒と、中央区・大阪城公園内の５軒のテントを、行政代執行により強制撤去しました。そこで野宿を強いられていた人々が住居としてきたテント・小屋などを、こともあろうに手続き開始からわずか３週間足らずで強制的に破壊し、住人をこの厳寒の路上に追い出したのです。
代執行の当日、当然のなりゆきとして多くの良心的な市民による抗議と抵抗があり、大きく報道されたのは記憶に新しいところですが、残念ながら誤解を招くような報道も見られました。市職員に負傷者が出たことのみ大きく報じられていますが、支援側も救急搬送３名（うち１名は全治１ヶ月の重傷）他軽傷者多数を出しており、１名が逮捕されるほか暴力的な弾圧を受けました。ましてや、追い出された人々を受け入れるために支援者側が用意した他公園のテントなどを当日先回りして撤去、封鎖するなどして、その行き場すら奪うと言う、救命ボートを沈めるような大阪市の非道な行為については、テレビカメラを追い出して公正な報道を妨害しようとした行為同様、ほとんど知られていません。
元々行政代執行の根拠となる都市公園法に基づく撤去対象は、公園内に張られたテントなどの物件に対するものですが、これらは長年にわたって人が居住してきた「家」であって、単なるモノではありません。それは寒さや襲撃から身を守り、生活用具を保管する生活の本拠であり、仕事の拠点です。強制撤去はそれらを一挙に奪うことを意味します。
市が代替住居として提示するのは本年中に閉鎖される大阪城一時避難所（シェルター）と自立支援センターのみで、そこにはテントや荷物を放棄した上で、再就職出来なくても最長６ヶ月（自立支援センター）までしか居られず、再入所も出来ずそこを出たら以前より状況が悪くなるというリスク、加えてプライバシーのない粗末な環境など過酷な制約があるにも関わらず、野宿者だからこれで充分、それを拒否するのはわがままだという差別的なまなざしすらあります。
先般、大阪地裁も居住の事実が認められれば、公園に張られたテントなどにも住所が適用出来、住民票を申請出来るとの判断を示したばかりです。住所は各種の社会的権利の拠り所であり、判決は住所を持たぬ者は「人」扱いされないのはおかしいという、憲法にのっとった誰が見てもむしろ当たり前の判断ですが、公共の場所の占有を認めたものではありません。それが一部の報道など誤認されて批判されているようですが、本質を見誤っています。
もとより災害時の緊急避難場所でもある公園が、失業など様々な事由による経済的難民たる野宿者の受け入れ先となっている事実の背景には、彼らが私有地を侵害せずに生存するためには、公有地に拠らざるを得ないというやむを得ない理由があり、ひいては野宿に至る水際の段階や、野宿に至った後での救済における行政の無策があります。
多くの野宿者はテントすら持たず、路上を放浪して暮らしています。この「豊かな」国の大阪と言う大都会で、年間２００人以上の人々が路上死を強いられている事実をご存知でしょうか？ 公園のテントは一部の人々が自力で築いた「命の砦」です。どこにも行く場所がないゆえの結果なのであり、決して自由気ままに「不法占拠」しているわけではありません。その彼らがここに至ってまた居所を失って路上に放り出されることがどういう結果を招くかは容易に想像出来ますし、それが重大な人権侵害、とりわけ生存権の侵害であることは明白です。
そもそも行政代執行は法的には最後の手段であり、公的権力の直接行使であって、本来その適用には慎重であって然るべきです。言うまでもなく、ことは住居に関わる問題だけに、人の生死に関わる重大な結果を招く恐れがあります。
にも関わらず今回の行政代執行には緊急性のある理由が何も示されておりません。大阪市は５月に予定されている「国際バラ会議」や「緑化フェア」などに合わせた整備工事を市内各公園で行っていましたが、それらが緊急避難として公園に居住する人々の生存権を侵害してまで不可欠なものとは到底思われません。また仮に工事を行なうにしても、必要なら公園内でテントを移動するなどしても工事は可能であり、また実際に野宿者側が工事に協力すべく話し合いに応じ、円満に対処してきた経緯もあります。ところが、昨年来、大阪市はそうした話し合いをも一方的に拒否しているばかりでなく、証拠を残す文書での交渉にすら一切応じていないのです。
今回の強制撤去は、市民の税金を湯水のように使って暴力をふるった結果、ただ野宿者を追い散らしただけで根本的な解決には全くなっていません。片方では再三報道されてきたごとくムダ金を使い、業者との癒着、汚職を繰り返しておきながら、こうして選択肢を奪われた弱者たるひと握りの野宿者を野垂れ死にに追い込もうとする大阪市のやり方は断じて見過ごすことは出来ません。ましてや「差別のない明るい社会」と、人権都市を標榜する大阪において、国際人権規約にも明らかに違反するこの強制追い立てを絶対に許すべきではないと考えます。私たちは法的手段として靱・大阪城両公園の処分取り消しを求めて提訴しています。私たちは大阪市がこの処分を取り消し、今また他公園にもその手を拡げようとしている強制排除というこの恥ずべき行為を直ちにやめるよう強く要求しています。
※本署名活動並びに、本件についての疑問やご質問があれば失業と野宿を考える実行委員会
（〒557-0002大阪市西成区太子２－１－２ 特定非営利活動法人・釜ヶ崎医療連絡会議 気付 TEL/FAX06-6647-8278 iryouren@air.ocn.ne.jp）にてお答えいたします。
（以下、署名本文）
大阪市長 關 淳一 殿
【要望】
野宿者の「家」たるテント・小屋等をこれ以上強制撤去しないでください
大阪市はこれ以上の野宿者の強制排除を直ちにやめてください！ 大阪市が多数の職員と多額の税金を投入して１月３０日、靱公園、大阪城公園で行った強制撤去は、そこで暮らしていた人々を路上死の危機に追い込み、なかんずく多数の市職員やガードマンらを殺人行政に加担させた愚行でしかありません。
その結果は野宿者を追い散らしただけで、野宿問題の解決には何の進展もありませんでした。これを正当化し、あるいはまた野宿できそうな余所をフェンスで囲い、置石をし、普通の利用者からも憩いのスペースを奪い、威圧するような「追い出し」に執心する限り、差別感情に歯止めはかからず、陰湿で理不尽な襲撃による犠牲者はあとを絶たず、大阪市の標榜する「差別のない明るい社会」にはほど遠いままです。
野宿者が差別を受けない権利を持つ同じ市民であることを想起して下さい。彼らは野宿なりに懸命に働き、収入相応の納税も果たし、日々の命をつないでいる隣人です。同じ「人」としてのまなざしで接してみる時、施設収容などの単純かつ間に合わせ的な施策がいかに人道に外れているかも理解出来るはずです。
国際人権規約にも明らかに違反する人権蹂躙行為である強制追い立てを直ちにやめ、多種多様な選択肢を含む、きめ細かな支援施策の充実と、野宿問題の根本解決を目指して、対話のテーブルにつくことを大阪市に対し強く要求します。
（以下、署名欄）
１月３０日、大阪市は西区・靭公園東園全域内の約２０軒と、中央区・大阪城公園内の５軒のテントを、行政代執行により強制撤去しました。そこで野宿を強いられていた人々が住居としてきたテント・小屋などを、こともあろうに手続き開始からわずか３週間足らずで強制的に破壊し、住人をこの厳寒の路上に追い出したのです。
代執行の当日、当然のなりゆきとして多くの良心的な市民による抗議と抵抗があり、大きく報道されたのは記憶に新しいところですが、残念ながら誤解を招くような報道も見られました。市職員に負傷者が出たことのみ大きく報じられていますが、支援側も救急搬送３名（うち１名は全治１ヶ月の重傷）他軽傷者多数を出しており、１名が逮捕されるほか暴力的な弾圧を受けました。ましてや、追い出された人々を受け入れるために支援者側が用意した他公園のテントなどを当日先回りして撤去、封鎖するなどして、その行き場すら奪うと言う、救命ボートを沈めるような大阪市の非道な行為については、テレビカメラを追い出して公正な報道を妨害しようとした行為同様、ほとんど知られていません。
元々行政代執行の根拠となる都市公園法に基づく撤去対象は、公園内に張られたテントなどの物件に対するものですが、これらは長年にわたって人が居住してきた「家」であって、単なるモノではありません。それは寒さや襲撃から身を守り、生活用具を保管する生活の本拠であり、仕事の拠点です。強制撤去はそれらを一挙に奪うことを意味します。
市が代替住居として提示するのは本年中に閉鎖される大阪城一時避難所（シェルター）と自立支援センターのみで、そこにはテントや荷物を放棄した上で、再就職出来なくても最長６ヶ月（自立支援センター）までしか居られず、再入所も出来ずそこを出たら以前より状況が悪くなるというリスク、加えてプライバシーのない粗末な環境など過酷な制約があるにも関わらず、野宿者だからこれで充分、それを拒否するのはわがままだという差別的なまなざしすらあります。
先般、大阪地裁も居住の事実が認められれば、公園に張られたテントなどにも住所が適用出来、住民票を申請出来るとの判断を示したばかりです。住所は各種の社会的権利の拠り所であり、判決は住所を持たぬ者は「人」扱いされないのはおかしいという、憲法にのっとった誰が見てもむしろ当たり前の判断ですが、公共の場所の占有を認めたものではありません。それが一部の報道など誤認されて批判されているようですが、本質を見誤っています。
もとより災害時の緊急避難場所でもある公園が、失業など様々な事由による経済的難民たる野宿者の受け入れ先となっている事実の背景には、彼らが私有地を侵害せずに生存するためには、公有地に拠らざるを得ないというやむを得ない理由があり、ひいては野宿に至る水際の段階や、野宿に至った後での救済における行政の無策があります。
多くの野宿者はテントすら持たず、路上を放浪して暮らしています。この「豊かな」国の大阪と言う大都会で、年間２００人以上の人々が路上死を強いられている事実をご存知でしょうか？ 公園のテントは一部の人々が自力で築いた「命の砦」です。どこにも行く場所がないゆえの結果なのであり、決して自由気ままに「不法占拠」しているわけではありません。その彼らがここに至ってまた居所を失って路上に放り出されることがどういう結果を招くかは容易に想像出来ますし、それが重大な人権侵害、とりわけ生存権の侵害であることは明白です。
そもそも行政代執行は法的には最後の手段であり、公的権力の直接行使であって、本来その適用には慎重であって然るべきです。言うまでもなく、ことは住居に関わる問題だけに、人の生死に関わる重大な結果を招く恐れがあります。
にも関わらず今回の行政代執行には緊急性のある理由が何も示されておりません。大阪市は５月に予定されている「国際バラ会議」や「緑化フェア」などに合わせた整備工事を市内各公園で行っていましたが、それらが緊急避難として公園に居住する人々の生存権を侵害してまで不可欠なものとは到底思われません。また仮に工事を行なうにしても、必要なら公園内でテントを移動するなどしても工事は可能であり、また実際に野宿者側が工事に協力すべく話し合いに応じ、円満に対処してきた経緯もあります。ところが、昨年来、大阪市はそうした話し合いをも一方的に拒否しているばかりでなく、証拠を残す文書での交渉にすら一切応じていないのです。
今回の強制撤去は、市民の税金を湯水のように使って暴力をふるった結果、ただ野宿者を追い散らしただけで根本的な解決には全くなっていません。片方では再三報道されてきたごとくムダ金を使い、業者との癒着、汚職を繰り返しておきながら、こうして選択肢を奪われた弱者たるひと握りの野宿者を野垂れ死にに追い込もうとする大阪市のやり方は断じて見過ごすことは出来ません。ましてや「差別のない明るい社会」と、人権都市を標榜する大阪において、国際人権規約にも明らかに違反するこの強制追い立てを絶対に許すべきではないと考えます。私たちは法的手段として靱・大阪城両公園の処分取り消しを求めて提訴しています。私たちは大阪市がこの処分を取り消し、今また他公園にもその手を拡げようとしている強制排除というこの恥ずべき行為を直ちにやめるよう強く要求しています。
※本署名活動並びに、本件についての疑問やご質問があれば失業と野宿を考える実行委員会
（〒557-0002大阪市西成区太子２－１－２ 特定非営利活動法人・釜ヶ崎医療連絡会議 気付 TEL/FAX06-6647-8278 iryouren@air.ocn.ne.jp）にてお答えいたします。
（以下、署名本文）
大阪市長 關 淳一 殿
【要望】
野宿者の「家」たるテント・小屋等をこれ以上強制撤去しないでください
大阪市はこれ以上の野宿者の強制排除を直ちにやめてください！ 大阪市が多数の職員と多額の税金を投入して１月３０日、靱公園、大阪城公園で行った強制撤去は、そこで暮らしていた人々を路上死の危機に追い込み、なかんずく多数の市職員やガードマンらを殺人行政に加担させた愚行でしかありません。
その結果は野宿者を追い散らしただけで、野宿問題の解決には何の進展もありませんでした。これを正当化し、あるいはまた野宿できそうな余所をフェンスで囲い、置石をし、普通の利用者からも憩いのスペースを奪い、威圧するような「追い出し」に執心する限り、差別感情に歯止めはかからず、陰湿で理不尽な襲撃による犠牲者はあとを絶たず、大阪市の標榜する「差別のない明るい社会」にはほど遠いままです。
野宿者が差別を受けない権利を持つ同じ市民であることを想起して下さい。彼らは野宿なりに懸命に働き、収入相応の納税も果たし、日々の命をつないでいる隣人です。同じ「人」としてのまなざしで接してみる時、施設収容などの単純かつ間に合わせ的な施策がいかに人道に外れているかも理解出来るはずです。
国際人権規約にも明らかに違反する人権蹂躙行為である強制追い立てを直ちにやめ、多種多様な選択肢を含む、きめ細かな支援施策の充実と、野宿問題の根本解決を目指して、対話のテーブルにつくことを大阪市に対し強く要求します。
（以下、署名欄）
「1.30対野宿者コミュニティ同時多発テロ」時の靭公園現地での画像記録を以下のページにて近日中にオンライン公開予定。
http://ca.geocities.com/kitakawachi_nojuku/
ファシスト大阪市とそれを支えたガードマン、警察権力、そして彼らに声援を送った者たちによる野宿者への許し難い同時多発テロ攻撃＝戦争行為を風化させないために！ そして仲間たちの「代執行業務拒否」の再三の呼びかけにもかかわらず、笑い、楽しみつつテロを遂行した現場の戦犯どもを許さないために。
以後、この「1.30対野宿者コミュニティ同時多発テロ」については、このページでは取り扱いません。経済的に苦しい状態でネットカフェなどで更新する事には限界があり、また暫定管理者がこれ以上、出過ぎた事をしたくありませんので。長居公園仲間の会のページの更新などについては、現仲間の会のメンバーに「是非」お問い合わせください。以後の更新については、現場に行くことも無い暫定管理人は責任を持てませんし、持ちません。以上。
http://ca.geocities.com/kitakawachi_nojuku/
ファシスト大阪市とそれを支えたガードマン、警察権力、そして彼らに声援を送った者たちによる野宿者への許し難い同時多発テロ攻撃＝戦争行為を風化させないために！ そして仲間たちの「代執行業務拒否」の再三の呼びかけにもかかわらず、笑い、楽しみつつテロを遂行した現場の戦犯どもを許さないために。
以後、この「1.30対野宿者コミュニティ同時多発テロ」については、このページでは取り扱いません。経済的に苦しい状態でネットカフェなどで更新する事には限界があり、また暫定管理者がこれ以上、出過ぎた事をしたくありませんので。長居公園仲間の会のページの更新などについては、現仲間の会のメンバーに「是非」お問い合わせください。以後の更新については、現場に行くことも無い暫定管理人は責任を持てませんし、持ちません。以上。
*Declaration of Protest Against the Evictions of Park Squatters in Utsubo and Osaka-jo Park*
On January 30th, 2006, mobilizing nearly 700 city employees, guardsmen and police against around 20 squatters in Utsubo Park and Osaka-jo Park, Osaka city forced through its eviction through so-called ‘administrative action’.
In the process of eviction, one person was illegitimately arrested on suspicion of ‘assault’, three were taken away in ambulances (of which one was a guardsmen with a broken bone that should take a month to heal), with many suffering contusions and other wounds. Until the last, our comrades who tried to defend their own tents and huts were pulled out as the city refused all discussion, and surrounded just steps away as their homes were shredded and smashed, forced to witness the eviction of all their belongings.
With rage in our hearts, we denounce this city’s inhuman violence.
No excuse can permit the abduction of our squatter comrades from their homes, in the brutal cold, and their dispossession onto the streets. In a city where 200 people die yearly on the streets, when will Osaka city be satisfied in its expulsion of our comrades?
For the squatters of Utsubo and Osaka-jo, Osaka city had disregarded all attempts to negotiate and ignored every word, jumping into the eviction process. The ‘alternative policies’ trotted out amidst the evictions were the Osaka-jo park shelter and the ‘Aid for Independence’ center, both of which kick their tenants out after a period of a few months, and are institutions designed to force people into a precarious, homeless life. As soon as one checks in and takes down one’s tent, a person is forced to sign a document swearing that ‘I will not squat again’.
While an occupant, there is no guarantee of finding work. With the handicaps of old age and an institutional address, the individual passes through the employment offices and for those who cannot find work they are labeled as having insufficient drive to ‘help themselves’ and are once again thrown into the streets. One meal a day, and a 3 meter square space to move around in, etc. along with a poor living environment, it is clear that these institutions are only ‘excuses for eviction’.
Knowing this intimately, the great majority of squatters reject the ‘persuasion consultations’ of the city’s administrators for internment, and along with protesting against this eviction, have demanded to the city a radical shift in unemployment and welfare policy, one executed without prejudice. The appeal: ‘Don’t destroy our tents’ will certainly be broadcast in the media as a sort of ‘selfishness’ which it definitely is not, on the contrary these are calls for the most basic essentials of living.
Disregarding even the January 27th court decision which ruled that a park occupant could legally register his address as his own, Osaka city pressed on with the eviction, against which an appeal lawsuit was launched the same day. Without a radical shift in policy, the evictions will continue, and if the justification for living in a tent is not recognized, what could possibly result but more deaths on the roadside?
To begin with, who the hell are these ‘World Roses Fair’ and ‘City Greening Fair’ (in which a massive amount of money has been sunk) even for? After the preparations for eviction begun on January 11th, and the truth had come out about a corruption scandal involving the Yutoritomidori tourism promotion office, four members of the section chief’s staff were arrested. This office, drenched in dirty politics, has no justification for trampling on the lives of squatters.
The city’s actions were in the end, not about the 20 people who fought to the end to protect their tents. Originally there were 40 in Utsubo park and nearly 700 at Osaka-jo; for these comrades the process of escalation in the three years since the building of the shelter is in part the reality of facing death on the streets. It is with their pain in our hearts that, at this struggle, had Osaka city been permitted to carry out its agenda, the 10,000 precarious comrades across the city would have been pushed farther and farther into the eviction crisis; and therefore, for the 30,000 comrades across the country, the twenty of Utsubo park as well as comrades converged from across the country fought until the end.
It was not just our comrades at the site of the struggle. Against the violence of Osaka city, as protests gathered across the countries and around the world, voices of encouragement reached us. With the city’s eviction as an opportunity to come together, if anything our links came out stronger.
Disregarding the overwhelming accumulation of personnel and equipment from the city, more than 100 people gathered in the early morning (and some the night earlier) to contest the 8 a.m. attack, and after six hours of standing against the city and overturning entirely the city’s plans of attack, the savagery of the city was unleashed for all to see. This thirty day fight was possible because of our comrade’s care, the assistance of many people and our solidarity. We could not stop the evictions, but we certainly did not lose! (Translator’s note: the massive money, equipment and personnel expenditure required for Osaka’s January 30th attack against autonomous tent villages across the city was so colossal that even the conservative Sankei Shinbun the next day was calling the city out, not for its violence and instrumental violence of course, but for the cost of the policies!)
Osaka city has not learned a thing from this incident. Side by side with its eviction of Utsubo park it attacked simultaneously four tents set up at Ogimachi park for comrades made homeless from Utsubo, retributively smashed a tent of a comrade participating in the actions against the eviction in Nishi Umeda Park and established a perimeter fence in Nishinari Kouen, from where many comrades had come to help those at Utsubo.
Comrades who arrived at Utsubo Park’s north administration office on the 31st to protest the eviction and demand their valuables were not allowed in, turned away and then met with violence. The same day, the southern administrative office of Nagai Kouen (in Osaka’s south) surrounded about 30 tent dwellers with eight cars and tried to destroy tents set up to receive the dispossessed from Utsubo park.
On the first of February, the tourism promotion office continued their prejudicial and targeting of squatters by issuing a document explaining the evictions, claiming that ‘the tents and huts are not only harming the scenery, but having a bad influence on the greenery and flowers; drunk and disorderly squatters bring a bad and unsafe atmosphere to surrounding citizens’.
Again, without touching on any of the violence executed by the employees of the state or the guardsmen, the administration erected a fence late at night the previous day, and in the midst of a protest against the men trying to carry out the construction, one person was injured. The administration takes this up and says ‘there is no way that violence can be permitted’ etc. and cries as if it is the victim.
Osaka city, please, isn’t it your murderous policies that are the most violent of all?
It makes us want to scream ‘Enough!’.
We will not allow this to continue unabated.
We demand that Osaka city halts its evictions and murders.
As long as this situation continues, and in order to protect the lives and living standards of our comrades we communicate here that we will carry on resisting.
Unemployment and squatting steering committee
０６－６６４７－８２７８（ＴＥＬ／ＦＡＸ）
０９０－９７００－０２９６
kamapat@infoseek.jp（Kamagasaki no Kai e-mail address）
Osaka-shi Nishinari-ku Taishi２－１－２
Care of: Kamagasaki Iryou Renraku Kaigi
On January 30th, 2006, mobilizing nearly 700 city employees, guardsmen and police against around 20 squatters in Utsubo Park and Osaka-jo Park, Osaka city forced through its eviction through so-called ‘administrative action’.
In the process of eviction, one person was illegitimately arrested on suspicion of ‘assault’, three were taken away in ambulances (of which one was a guardsmen with a broken bone that should take a month to heal), with many suffering contusions and other wounds. Until the last, our comrades who tried to defend their own tents and huts were pulled out as the city refused all discussion, and surrounded just steps away as their homes were shredded and smashed, forced to witness the eviction of all their belongings.
With rage in our hearts, we denounce this city’s inhuman violence.
No excuse can permit the abduction of our squatter comrades from their homes, in the brutal cold, and their dispossession onto the streets. In a city where 200 people die yearly on the streets, when will Osaka city be satisfied in its expulsion of our comrades?
For the squatters of Utsubo and Osaka-jo, Osaka city had disregarded all attempts to negotiate and ignored every word, jumping into the eviction process. The ‘alternative policies’ trotted out amidst the evictions were the Osaka-jo park shelter and the ‘Aid for Independence’ center, both of which kick their tenants out after a period of a few months, and are institutions designed to force people into a precarious, homeless life. As soon as one checks in and takes down one’s tent, a person is forced to sign a document swearing that ‘I will not squat again’.
While an occupant, there is no guarantee of finding work. With the handicaps of old age and an institutional address, the individual passes through the employment offices and for those who cannot find work they are labeled as having insufficient drive to ‘help themselves’ and are once again thrown into the streets. One meal a day, and a 3 meter square space to move around in, etc. along with a poor living environment, it is clear that these institutions are only ‘excuses for eviction’.
Knowing this intimately, the great majority of squatters reject the ‘persuasion consultations’ of the city’s administrators for internment, and along with protesting against this eviction, have demanded to the city a radical shift in unemployment and welfare policy, one executed without prejudice. The appeal: ‘Don’t destroy our tents’ will certainly be broadcast in the media as a sort of ‘selfishness’ which it definitely is not, on the contrary these are calls for the most basic essentials of living.
Disregarding even the January 27th court decision which ruled that a park occupant could legally register his address as his own, Osaka city pressed on with the eviction, against which an appeal lawsuit was launched the same day. Without a radical shift in policy, the evictions will continue, and if the justification for living in a tent is not recognized, what could possibly result but more deaths on the roadside?
To begin with, who the hell are these ‘World Roses Fair’ and ‘City Greening Fair’ (in which a massive amount of money has been sunk) even for? After the preparations for eviction begun on January 11th, and the truth had come out about a corruption scandal involving the Yutoritomidori tourism promotion office, four members of the section chief’s staff were arrested. This office, drenched in dirty politics, has no justification for trampling on the lives of squatters.
The city’s actions were in the end, not about the 20 people who fought to the end to protect their tents. Originally there were 40 in Utsubo park and nearly 700 at Osaka-jo; for these comrades the process of escalation in the three years since the building of the shelter is in part the reality of facing death on the streets. It is with their pain in our hearts that, at this struggle, had Osaka city been permitted to carry out its agenda, the 10,000 precarious comrades across the city would have been pushed farther and farther into the eviction crisis; and therefore, for the 30,000 comrades across the country, the twenty of Utsubo park as well as comrades converged from across the country fought until the end.
It was not just our comrades at the site of the struggle. Against the violence of Osaka city, as protests gathered across the countries and around the world, voices of encouragement reached us. With the city’s eviction as an opportunity to come together, if anything our links came out stronger.
Disregarding the overwhelming accumulation of personnel and equipment from the city, more than 100 people gathered in the early morning (and some the night earlier) to contest the 8 a.m. attack, and after six hours of standing against the city and overturning entirely the city’s plans of attack, the savagery of the city was unleashed for all to see. This thirty day fight was possible because of our comrade’s care, the assistance of many people and our solidarity. We could not stop the evictions, but we certainly did not lose! (Translator’s note: the massive money, equipment and personnel expenditure required for Osaka’s January 30th attack against autonomous tent villages across the city was so colossal that even the conservative Sankei Shinbun the next day was calling the city out, not for its violence and instrumental violence of course, but for the cost of the policies!)
Osaka city has not learned a thing from this incident. Side by side with its eviction of Utsubo park it attacked simultaneously four tents set up at Ogimachi park for comrades made homeless from Utsubo, retributively smashed a tent of a comrade participating in the actions against the eviction in Nishi Umeda Park and established a perimeter fence in Nishinari Kouen, from where many comrades had come to help those at Utsubo.
Comrades who arrived at Utsubo Park’s north administration office on the 31st to protest the eviction and demand their valuables were not allowed in, turned away and then met with violence. The same day, the southern administrative office of Nagai Kouen (in Osaka’s south) surrounded about 30 tent dwellers with eight cars and tried to destroy tents set up to receive the dispossessed from Utsubo park.
On the first of February, the tourism promotion office continued their prejudicial and targeting of squatters by issuing a document explaining the evictions, claiming that ‘the tents and huts are not only harming the scenery, but having a bad influence on the greenery and flowers; drunk and disorderly squatters bring a bad and unsafe atmosphere to surrounding citizens’.
Again, without touching on any of the violence executed by the employees of the state or the guardsmen, the administration erected a fence late at night the previous day, and in the midst of a protest against the men trying to carry out the construction, one person was injured. The administration takes this up and says ‘there is no way that violence can be permitted’ etc. and cries as if it is the victim.
Osaka city, please, isn’t it your murderous policies that are the most violent of all?
It makes us want to scream ‘Enough!’.
We will not allow this to continue unabated.
We demand that Osaka city halts its evictions and murders.
As long as this situation continues, and in order to protect the lives and living standards of our comrades we communicate here that we will carry on resisting.
Unemployment and squatting steering committee
０６－６６４７－８２７８（ＴＥＬ／ＦＡＸ）
０９０－９７００－０２９６
kamapat@infoseek.jp（Kamagasaki no Kai e-mail address）
Osaka-shi Nishinari-ku Taishi２－１－２
Care of: Kamagasaki Iryou Renraku Kaigi
Comrades and affinities;
saluton from osaka. by the way, if you will be able to do something, we
strongly request you to do something against osaka city authorities,
polizei, and its concerns as soon as you can:
-protest against the executive committee of world rose conventions 2006
now! office@worldrose-osaka2006.jp
FAX：+81-6-6631-8741
because this rose convention already harassed/evicted our comrades
being in poverty on japanese islands. no need to hobbies of monarchists
and noble persons! we strongly demand dignified lives for each.
-protest against the branches of osaka city now!
Mr. fascist Junichi Seki
fascist Mayor of Osaka City
1-3-20, Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka-si, Japan
Tel: 1-(312)832-6002
Fax: +81-6-6202-6950
Fax: 1-(312)832-6066
info@osakacity.org
http://www.osakacity.org/office/contactus.aspx
direct action to the branches will really support us. also protest msgs
to the city authorities will be really helpful for us. osaka city has
following branches on the world: Chicago, Paris, Dusseldorf, Shanghai,
Singapore.(addresses of them are below!)
-protest against the companies concerns of osaka: Sumitomo, Panasonic,
Sharp, Sanyo, cats eye...etc.
Sumitomo group is a very political company. in osaka, Sumitomo has big
political influences on various fields of business. Panasonic(national)
is same. they have repressed the workers' rights in asia areas/japnese
islands, and have made a lot of money for a long time. so, any
boycotts/strikes to them are welcome to us.
-make the voices/protests to the fascist city authorities of osaka from
"sister cities"!
osaka city has some sister cities: ≫ Sister Cities
San Francisco (United States)
Sao Paulo (Brazil)
Chicago (United States)
Shanghai (China)
Melbourne (Australia)
St. Petersburg (Russia)
Milan (Italy)
Hamburg (Germany)
≫ Business Partner Cities (BPC)
Hong Kong (China)
Singapore
Bangkok (Thailand)
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Manila (The Philippines)
Jakarta (Indonesia)
Seoul (South Korea)
Shanghai (China)
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)
Bombay (India)
Melbourne (Australia)
Tianjin
what about campaign of "letters of public questions to the fascist
osaka city"?
-also protest against any japnese consulates/embassies!
sending protests/direct actions against nearest japanese
consulates/embassies are welcome.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/over/index.html
Embassy of Japan in U$A
2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington D.C. 20008
Tel: 202.238.6700 fax: 202.328.2187
*CONCENTRATE YOUR PROTESTS ON OSAKA CYTY*
This is very simple and should not take much time. Please send messages
like 'STOP FORCED EVICTIONS!' to:
Mr. fascist Junichi Seki
fascist Mayor of Osaka City
1-3-20, Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka-si, Japan
Fax: +81-6-6202-6950
http://www.city.osaka.jp/shichoshitsu/iken/index.html
http://www.city.osaka.jp/yutoritomidori/request/index.html
*office of 23th Zenkoku-tochi-ryokuka osaka fest
TEL06-6920-5941 FAX 06-6920-5971
*office of executive committee of World rose convention 2006
http://www.worldrose-osaka2006.jp/jp/form/index.html
office@worldrose-osaka2006.jp
FAX： +81-6-6631-8741
TEL 06-6631－8760
Western Park Office
Fax: +81-6-6441-6797
2-1-4, Utsubohonmachi, Nishi-ku, Osaka-si, Japan
Eastern Park Office
Fax: +81-6-6943-6877
3-11, Osakajyo, Chuou-ku, Osaka-si, Japan
City of Osaka Chicago Office
c/o JETRO Chicago
401 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 660
Chicago, Illinois
60611 USA
Tel: 1-(312)832-6002
Fax: 1-(312)832-6066
info@osakacity.org
http://www.osakacity.org/office/contactus.aspx
City of Osaka Dusseldorf Office
c/o JETRO Dusseldorf
Konigsallee 58
40212 Dusseldorf
Germany
Tel: 49-(211)1360241
Fax: 49-(211)326411
City of Osaka Singapore Office
5 Shenton Way
#37-01 UIC Building
Singapore 068808
Republic of Singapore
Tel: (65)6220-8588
Fax: (65)6224-9980
webmaster@osakacity.com.sg
Bureau de Representation
de la Ville d'Osaka a Paris
29, rue des Pyramides
75001 Paris
France
Tel: 33-(1)4015-9366
Fax: 33-(1)4015-9172
ocparis@netntt.fr
City of Osaka Shanghai Office
Room 407, Shanghai International
Trade Center
2200 Yan An Road West
Shanghai, China
Tel: 86-(21)6275-1982
Fax: 86-(21)6275-1983
webmaster@osakacity-sh.com
if you will be able to send the picture/pix of your actions, please
send to: nagaipark_tentvilla@yahoo.co.jp / kamapat@infoseek.jp
and also, if you will be able to send/email the protest to the osaka
city authorities, please CC/BCC to: nagaipark_tentvilla@yahoo.co.jp /
kamapat@infoseek.jp thanx. in solidarity.
saluton from osaka. by the way, if you will be able to do something, we
strongly request you to do something against osaka city authorities,
polizei, and its concerns as soon as you can:
-protest against the executive committee of world rose conventions 2006
now! office@worldrose-osaka2006.jp
FAX：+81-6-6631-8741
because this rose convention already harassed/evicted our comrades
being in poverty on japanese islands. no need to hobbies of monarchists
and noble persons! we strongly demand dignified lives for each.
-protest against the branches of osaka city now!
Mr. fascist Junichi Seki
fascist Mayor of Osaka City
1-3-20, Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka-si, Japan
Tel: 1-(312)832-6002
Fax: +81-6-6202-6950
Fax: 1-(312)832-6066
info@osakacity.org
http://www.osakacity.org/office/contactus.aspx
direct action to the branches will really support us. also protest msgs
to the city authorities will be really helpful for us. osaka city has
following branches on the world: Chicago, Paris, Dusseldorf, Shanghai,
Singapore.(addresses of them are below!)
-protest against the companies concerns of osaka: Sumitomo, Panasonic,
Sharp, Sanyo, cats eye...etc.
Sumitomo group is a very political company. in osaka, Sumitomo has big
political influences on various fields of business. Panasonic(national)
is same. they have repressed the workers' rights in asia areas/japnese
islands, and have made a lot of money for a long time. so, any
boycotts/strikes to them are welcome to us.
-make the voices/protests to the fascist city authorities of osaka from
"sister cities"!
osaka city has some sister cities: ≫ Sister Cities
San Francisco (United States)
Sao Paulo (Brazil)
Chicago (United States)
Shanghai (China)
Melbourne (Australia)
St. Petersburg (Russia)
Milan (Italy)
Hamburg (Germany)
≫ Business Partner Cities (BPC)
Hong Kong (China)
Singapore
Bangkok (Thailand)
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Manila (The Philippines)
Jakarta (Indonesia)
Seoul (South Korea)
Shanghai (China)
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)
Bombay (India)
Melbourne (Australia)
Tianjin
what about campaign of "letters of public questions to the fascist
osaka city"?
-also protest against any japnese consulates/embassies!
sending protests/direct actions against nearest japanese
consulates/embassies are welcome.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/over/index.html
Embassy of Japan in U$A
2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington D.C. 20008
Tel: 202.238.6700 fax: 202.328.2187
*CONCENTRATE YOUR PROTESTS ON OSAKA CYTY*
This is very simple and should not take much time. Please send messages
like 'STOP FORCED EVICTIONS!' to:
Mr. fascist Junichi Seki
fascist Mayor of Osaka City
1-3-20, Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka-si, Japan
Fax: +81-6-6202-6950
http://www.city.osaka.jp/shichoshitsu/iken/index.html
http://www.city.osaka.jp/yutoritomidori/request/index.html
*office of 23th Zenkoku-tochi-ryokuka osaka fest
TEL06-6920-5941 FAX 06-6920-5971
*office of executive committee of World rose convention 2006
http://www.worldrose-osaka2006.jp/jp/form/index.html
office@worldrose-osaka2006.jp
FAX： +81-6-6631-8741
TEL 06-6631－8760
Western Park Office
Fax: +81-6-6441-6797
2-1-4, Utsubohonmachi, Nishi-ku, Osaka-si, Japan
Eastern Park Office
Fax: +81-6-6943-6877
3-11, Osakajyo, Chuou-ku, Osaka-si, Japan
City of Osaka Chicago Office
c/o JETRO Chicago
401 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 660
Chicago, Illinois
60611 USA
Tel: 1-(312)832-6002
Fax: 1-(312)832-6066
info@osakacity.org
http://www.osakacity.org/office/contactus.aspx
City of Osaka Dusseldorf Office
c/o JETRO Dusseldorf
Konigsallee 58
40212 Dusseldorf
Germany
Tel: 49-(211)1360241
Fax: 49-(211)326411
City of Osaka Singapore Office
5 Shenton Way
#37-01 UIC Building
Singapore 068808
Republic of Singapore
Tel: (65)6220-8588
Fax: (65)6224-9980
webmaster@osakacity.com.sg
Bureau de Representation
de la Ville d'Osaka a Paris
29, rue des Pyramides
75001 Paris
France
Tel: 33-(1)4015-9366
Fax: 33-(1)4015-9172
ocparis@netntt.fr
City of Osaka Shanghai Office
Room 407, Shanghai International
Trade Center
2200 Yan An Road West
Shanghai, China
Tel: 86-(21)6275-1982
Fax: 86-(21)6275-1983
webmaster@osakacity-sh.com
if you will be able to send the picture/pix of your actions, please
send to: nagaipark_tentvilla@yahoo.co.jp / kamapat@infoseek.jp
and also, if you will be able to send/email the protest to the osaka
city authorities, please CC/BCC to: nagaipark_tentvilla@yahoo.co.jp /
kamapat@infoseek.jp thanx. in solidarity.
*we never forgive the fuckin' fascist of oSSaKKKa city!*
on early morning of 30 jan 2006, fascist osaka city authorities with guards and polizei began to do their barbarous actions to the homeless persons living in utsubo park/osaka castle park. first of all, 750 city officers/guards marched ahead to surround/invade the utsubo park, and they closed the park with fences/barricades. before dawn of this day, a part of us set some barricades on some places of this park. however, most of us did not do so. so,
2 entrances of utsubo park were too easy to pass them into the park.(they enter to the park from western gate/northern gate...etc.) on the park, they surrounded us and scrumed each other, then, they moved to the headquarter's tent of utsubo park step by step. on the other side, when the residents of tents of north/south-west side were kept out from their own tents by guards/officers with violence, they destroyed and swept tents away so easier. all action we could do was only shouting our protest. because most of us carried out the "non-violence struggle".(however, non-violence does not mean non-defense. most of us forgot this important thing, i think.)
then, they attacked and went ahead to the HQ tent and some tents. at that time, most of us surrounded by them, and comrades supporting from outside of the barricades had to defend themselves from riot police...etc. for a while, we defended 2 tents and HQ tent, and also we got a bit of cease-fire. some guards nodded to our voices of criticising about city authorities.(these guards were replaced to the other place by their chief.) however, this cease-fire was broken by their evil offense to us again. suddenly, some no scrumed comrades were brought out by 5-6 guards(women were brought out by 6 special women guards. also photographers of media were forced to stop their action from our side.), further, they cut the code of our tents. a lot of officers with white helmet attacked from behind the HQ tent. we resisted to their destroying & removing... and resisted to get out of utsubo park, and also comrades supporting from outside of the park tried to break out their fences... however, finally, they completed their missions.
in this way, utsubo park was completely occupied by barbarous officers with guards and polizei. further, a homeless warrior living in utsubo park was secretly arrested by gestapo!!(now, he is in temporary prison of nishi-police station. we strongly hope he will get back immediately!)
also in a part of osaka castle park, osaka city authorities occupied 5 tents/huts and homeless comrades. some of homeless comrades of utsubo park went to ougimachi park tent village, others went to nagai park tent village...etc.
same day, fascist osaka city attacked some tent villages and a tent: in ougimachi park, 4 tents for the sufferers of utsubo park were stolen by northern district park officers(on the morning of 31 jan 2006, we protested to that fuckin' matter to the city north district park office. park officers tried to reject our protest. so, a glass door was broken. however, it was not our responsibility. for a while, they returned these tents to us. but, no apologizing!). in nishinari park, each of some tents were surrounded by fences like a zoo. and also in nishi-umeda park, a tent of homeless comrade supporting the anti-eviction struggle in utsubo park was stolen by north district park office!(1 feb 2006, they returned this tent
to a homeless comrade. but, no apologizing!)
these were terrible terrorism by osaka city authorities and its supporters.
after the battle of utsubo park, we went ahead to the osaka city hall and protested to the barbarous osaka city authorities. also, we shout the protest again and again, and stated them "the battle against fascist city will continue". yes, "la batalo continuos!" "la lucha continua!" we are NOT DUST. we shall NOT BE MOVED!!
on early morning of 30 jan 2006, fascist osaka city authorities with guards and polizei began to do their barbarous actions to the homeless persons living in utsubo park/osaka castle park. first of all, 750 city officers/guards marched ahead to surround/invade the utsubo park, and they closed the park with fences/barricades. before dawn of this day, a part of us set some barricades on some places of this park. however, most of us did not do so. so,
2 entrances of utsubo park were too easy to pass them into the park.(they enter to the park from western gate/northern gate...etc.) on the park, they surrounded us and scrumed each other, then, they moved to the headquarter's tent of utsubo park step by step. on the other side, when the residents of tents of north/south-west side were kept out from their own tents by guards/officers with violence, they destroyed and swept tents away so easier. all action we could do was only shouting our protest. because most of us carried out the "non-violence struggle".(however, non-violence does not mean non-defense. most of us forgot this important thing, i think.)
then, they attacked and went ahead to the HQ tent and some tents. at that time, most of us surrounded by them, and comrades supporting from outside of the barricades had to defend themselves from riot police...etc. for a while, we defended 2 tents and HQ tent, and also we got a bit of cease-fire. some guards nodded to our voices of criticising about city authorities.(these guards were replaced to the other place by their chief.) however, this cease-fire was broken by their evil offense to us again. suddenly, some no scrumed comrades were brought out by 5-6 guards(women were brought out by 6 special women guards. also photographers of media were forced to stop their action from our side.), further, they cut the code of our tents. a lot of officers with white helmet attacked from behind the HQ tent. we resisted to their destroying & removing... and resisted to get out of utsubo park, and also comrades supporting from outside of the park tried to break out their fences... however, finally, they completed their missions.
in this way, utsubo park was completely occupied by barbarous officers with guards and polizei. further, a homeless warrior living in utsubo park was secretly arrested by gestapo!!(now, he is in temporary prison of nishi-police station. we strongly hope he will get back immediately!)
also in a part of osaka castle park, osaka city authorities occupied 5 tents/huts and homeless comrades. some of homeless comrades of utsubo park went to ougimachi park tent village, others went to nagai park tent village...etc.
same day, fascist osaka city attacked some tent villages and a tent: in ougimachi park, 4 tents for the sufferers of utsubo park were stolen by northern district park officers(on the morning of 31 jan 2006, we protested to that fuckin' matter to the city north district park office. park officers tried to reject our protest. so, a glass door was broken. however, it was not our responsibility. for a while, they returned these tents to us. but, no apologizing!). in nishinari park, each of some tents were surrounded by fences like a zoo. and also in nishi-umeda park, a tent of homeless comrade supporting the anti-eviction struggle in utsubo park was stolen by north district park office!(1 feb 2006, they returned this tent
to a homeless comrade. but, no apologizing!)
these were terrible terrorism by osaka city authorities and its supporters.
after the battle of utsubo park, we went ahead to the osaka city hall and protested to the barbarous osaka city authorities. also, we shout the protest again and again, and stated them "the battle against fascist city will continue". yes, "la batalo continuos!" "la lucha continua!" we are NOT DUST. we shall NOT BE MOVED!!