Abe’s Facebook Post on TPP Protestors Causes a Stir

By Yuka Hayashi

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s decision to join negotiations for an emerging regional trade agreement gained kudos from the business community and many city dwellers. But it remains a hot-button issue, and the prime minister faces opposition from both the left and the right of the political spectrum.

That tension, and the complex nature of the opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, were on full display Monday after Mr. Abe wrote a bluntly-worded post on his widely-read Facebook page about TPP protestors.

The post appeared Sunday night, a few hours after a minor scuffle involving protestors at the scene of a street rally by Mr. Abe and other leaders of his Liberal Democratic Party in central Tokyo. The prime minister spoke atop a campaign truck to a large Sunday evening crowd in front of the Shibuya Station. Competing for the attention in the plaza next to it were several dozen activists protesting Japan’s participation in the TPP talks.

“I was touched that so many of you came to Shibuya,” wrote the prime minister, whose frequent Facebook posts cover everything from a college reunion to a foreign policy debate.  “There were some leftists with microphones and drums in the audience who tried hard, with hatred, to interrupt our speeches. But I must say that gave us fight. Thank You. A child in front laughed them off, saying ‘Quiet!’  Admirable. Please remember that those are representatives of embarrassing adults.”

To the frustration of some of his 350,000 followers, however, the post no longer seems to be available for general viewing, and the reason is unknown.  An official for Mr. Abe’s office said the post had not been taken down and that its access had not been curtailed. The official, who declined to give his name, said the post was visible on his own computer screen and invited the reporter to come and see. A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s office declined to comment, noting that the matter related to Mr. Abe’s personal Facebook page.  The press office for Facebook Japan could not be reached for comment immediately.

Still, many Twitter users said they could not acces the original post, and wondered about what seemed to be its mysterious disappearance .  “I can’t see the Facebook post. Why?” said one. “Could it be a cyberattack?” said another.

Mr. Abe’s Twitter page still has a tweet that shows a link to the Facebook post that no longer seems to work, as well as a few lines from the post.  Some individuals have posted links to the entire post that had been captured earlier.

Many of the comments attached to Mr. Abe’s tweet were critical, with some focusing on the use of the word “leftists” to describe the anti-TPP protestors.

“There are a lot of LDP supporters and conservatives who are in the anti-TPP camp. Does this mean he labels all his enemies leftists and friends rightists?” one wrote. “Have you forgotten that you helped 205 anti-TPP lawmakers win seats in the last elections?” another wrote. “These words are not suitable for the prime minister of a nation,” another wrote.

By Tuesday morning, access to the Facebook post has been restored.

UPDATE: This article has been updated at 2:42 p.m.  JST on June 11 to include the latest status of the access to Mr. Abe’s Facebook post.

Follow Yuka Hayashi on Twitter @TokyoWoods