An umbrella organization of 51 citizens' groups that has staged peace marches in Tokyo lodged a protest Tuesday over the arrests of three participants in one such walk in Shibuya Ward earlier this month, displaying video footage of one of them being repeatedly beaten by police.
During a news conference, Ken Takada, head of World Peace Now, denounced the trio's July 4 arrest for allegedly obstructing justice during a rally held near JR Shibuya Station, saying the action was aimed at scaring away peace activists and suppressing civic activism.
Showing video footage of one of the trio being repeatedly beaten by more than a dozen police officers, lawyer Masatoshi Uchida, who heads the trio's defense, said they plan to file a criminal complaint against the officers, alleging abuse of power.