As Okinawa Prefecture’s gubernatorial race picks up steam ahead of the Sept. 13 election, a familiar question is resurfacing: When does a person’s right to shout criticism become unlawful interference??
On Monday, representatives of an organization supporting two-term Gov. Denny Tamaki’s reelection asked the Okinawa Prefectural Police to strengthen security, alleging repeated close-range verbal protests and disruptions during its campaign rallies.?
“The current obstruction is compromising the fairness of the election,” Tadakatsu Nakayama, the organization’s lawyer, told reporters after making the request. While acknowledging that heckling falls within a constitutionally protected right, he added the interference faced by the organization at its rallies had gone beyond acceptable boundaries.
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