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Rough Cop Videos a Huge YouTube Hit in Japan

by Dan Reilly on November 13, 2008 at 05:02 PM

Several videos of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police using seemingly excessive force on demonstrators are getting thousands of hits on YouTube, with one clip surpassing the 100,000 mark. Last month, around 40 protesters gathered outside the house of Prime Minister Taro Aso on behalf of the country's "working poor," the approximate 10 million citizens who make less than $20,000.

The most popular video shows police roughly subduing protesters, who accused the wealthy Prime Minister of "creating poverty." Three men were arrested and charged with "assembling without a permit" and "scuffling" with the cops. An official says the actions were appropriate, while the protesters claim they informed the police of their plans prior to the event.

While we're not sure how great the backlash will become in this case, the popularity of the videos is unsurprising in the age of "don't tase me, bro" moments captured on cell phones and digital cameras. And naturally, there's already a remix version of the main clip with captions, stylized effects, and techno music. [From: Reuters]

Tags: big in japan, BigInJapan, japan, video, web, weird, youtube

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