Photo/Illutration A protest takes place on May 19 in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, against Kurdish residents in Japan. (Makoto Asano)

SAITAMA—The Saitama District Court on Nov. 21 ordered a halt to a planned protest targeting Kurdish people in Japan, ruling that the demonstration amounted to hate speech.

The protest was scheduled for Nov. 24 near the office of the Japan Kurdish Cultural Association in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture.

The court order prohibits the protest organizers from engaging in any demonstrations or distributing insulting or defamatory leaflets within a 600-meter radius of the association’s office.

“We are truly happy with the ruling,” the association said. “We were worried that the demonstrations would spread false stereotypes about Kurds.”

This is the first court injunction against a demonstration targeting Kurdish residents in Japan, according to the association’s attorney.

The protest organizers, including a man from Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, have held multiple demonstrations near the office since February, according to court documents.

During these protests, members have displayed banners and placards carrying such messages as, “Kurdish Association that supports suicide bombings is not welcome in Japan.” Others have used megaphones to shout out slogans like, “Kurds, get out of Japan.”

The association argued that these protests constituted clear defamation and hate speech against Kurds. It expressed concerns that similar demonstrations would continue if left unchecked.

“It’s significant that the court recognized that the demonstrations against Kurds in Kawaguchi and neighboring Warabi are illegal,” said Kim Yeong-gong, a lawyer representing the association. “We hope this will lead to the eradication of hate demonstrations.”

The court’s decision followed a series of similar rulings issued by courts in Kanagawa Prefecture, Osaka and Tokyo between 2016 and 2019 to prevent hate speech targeting ethnic Koreans.

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