Supporters of homeless individuals clashed with police and court officials enforcing an eviction order Sunday at a former labor welfare center in the Airin district of the city of Osaka’s Nishinari Ward.
The enforcement began at around 7 a.m., with Osaka District Court officials instructing individuals camping around the facility to vacate the premises. Officers from the Osaka Prefectural Police were also present to provide security.
Tensions escalated as supporters of the homeless rushed to barricades set up at the premises and clashed with police. A man with a megaphone was heard shouting, “Day laborers live here. This city is built on the money that they spend.”
The center, established in 1970, had served as a hub for welfare support and job placement, and primarily catered to day laborers. It was closed in 2019 to undergo reconstruction due to concerns about its ability to withstand a large-scale earthquake.
Following its closure, homeless individuals began setting up makeshift shelters near the center’s shuttered entrance using items such as tarps and bedding.
Osaka Prefecture, which owns the land, filed a lawsuit to evict the individuals. Lower courts sided with the prefecture in rulings in 2021 and 2022. In May, the Supreme Court upheld these decisions, finalizing the eviction order.
Translated by The Japan Times