Feature: Peaceful protest against APA hotel attacked by ultra-right wing activists in Japan

Dozens of ultra-right wing activists besieged and attacked a peaceful parade held here on Sunday by some overseas Chinese in protest against a major Japanese hotel chain which recently sparked fury over history-distorting books placed in its guest rooms.

Some 100 overseas Chinese gathered in Shinjuku Central Park in downtown Tokyo Sunday afternoon, holding banners with slogans such as "Freedom of speech shall not violate human conscience" and "Peace shall be treasured."

The demonstrators marched silently and peacefully towards an APA hotel about 2 km away at around 2:45 p.m. local time to protest against the hotel chain's provocative act. The parade lasted about one hour.

The Japanese APA hotel chain has sparked public outrage recently, especially among people in China and South Korea, for placing books written by its CEO in its guest rooms denying the Nanjing Massacre and the forced recruitment of "comfort women" ever happened.

The incident, after being exposed on social media by a young woman from the United States and confirmed independently by Xinhua as well as major Japanese media outlets, has also raised great controversy in Japan.

During the peaceful protest, dozens of ultra-right wing activists besieged and followed the paraders, shouting through loudspeakers and even trying to wrest banners away from the demonstrators, only to be stopped by the hundreds of local police keeping the parade in order.

There were also some 100 ultra-right wing activists gathering in front of the APA hotel, holding Japanese national flags and other flags in protest against the peaceful parade.

"The parade is aimed at upholding friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people," said a female organizer of the parade, who added that the APA incident only embodies the distorted views of a small number of ultra-right wing forces in Japan, but not the majority of Japanese people.

"As peace-loving Chinese, we shall hold in check such ultra-right voices in Japan that hurt friendship between the peoples of China and Japan," she said.

There were also some Japanese people supporting the demonstrators, holding banners with slogans such as "Nanjing Massacre is true" and "Stop the words and deeds of hatred" in protest against the ultra-right wing forces.

The organizer of the 8th Asian Winter Games (AWG) has recently requested the APA hotel in Sapporo, designated as one of the official reception hotels for athletes, to remove the right-wing books placed in the guest rooms.

The organizing committee is also making new accomodation arrangement for Chinese athletes who were previously scheduled to stay in scandal-hit APA hotel, according to an official of the organizer of AWG.

South Korea's top sports body has also demanded Japan to change a hotel for its athletes from the right-wing Japanese hotel chain. Endit