Counter-protesters against hate speech in Japan: negative framing by police, media, and activists

Abstract

In 2013, counter-protests emerged in Japan in response to escalating far-right demonstrations featuring hate speech. Counter-protesters formed a movement described as “Liberal Antifa.” Many used Antifa symbols, yet the movement remained non-violent and distinct from the more militant Antifa in other Western countries. They verbally confronted far-right activists and used electronic noise, helping reduce far-right demonstrations. From the summer of 2025, their visibility once again increased through protests against the Sanseito. This paper examines how, despite these contributions, counter-protesters have been negatively framed across three layers: policing, news coverage, and activist discourse. Using forty-six qualitative interviews with forty protesters (2017–2023) and content analysis of activist publications and news reports, this study investigates the framing process and effects. It shows that these layers mutually reinforced negative portrayals, where policing with arrests on minor charges and media reliance on police press releases or sensationalism prioritised “law and order” over protest rights. Furthermore, activist discourse used historical analogies to delegitimise counter-protesters. This study elucidates the current dynamics of social control in Japan, including the blurring of boundaries between institutional media and online activist discourse, which leads to stigmatisation of counter-protesters.