On August 5, Fukushika Emi, a city council member in Tsurugashima City, Saitama, held a press conference in Tokyo after the city council passed a resolution asking her to stop using her official title when speaking out against discrimination. She called the decision “very disappointing” and said, “I will continue to speak out against discrimination without backing down.”
Fukushima was elected in 2023 and has actively spoken out—especially on social media—against discrimination toward foreigners, including Kurdish people. Around 150 complaints were sent to the city and council office recently, with some demanding she resign or saying she lacks dignity as a council member.
On July 22, there was even a threat to kill her and blow up city hall. Because of that, a kids’ event planned in the council chambers had to be canceled.
On August 4, the council passed a resolution saying her use of the “Tsurugashima City Council Member” title in her posts was disrupting city operations. Of the 15 members who voted, 14 were in favor. Council Chair Yoshihiro Uchino said the decision wasn't meant to limit political speech but simply asked for more discretion.
However, the city’s two Communist Party council members said supporting the resolution was a mistake. One of them, Tadayoshi Ota, originally supported it to calm things down after the threats, but later felt it could limit political freedom. He skipped the vote. The other member voted against it. They issued a statement apologizing, saying it was “clearly a mistake” to support the resolution in the first place.
Also on August 5, Fukushima filed a lawsuit against freelance journalist Takao Ishii, demanding 2.2 million yen in damages. She says Ishii defamed her by calling her a “female terrorist operative.” Ishii responded by saying Fukushima has been hostile toward his work and that this lawsuit seems to be part of that ongoing conflict.
by MagazineKey4532