The Case of an Attack on the Shichijo Police Station (七条警察署襲撃事件)
The case of an attack on the Shichijo Police Station was an assault that occurred on January 24, 1946 in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture.
Outline of the case
On January 18, 1946, Shichijo Police of the Kyoto Prefectural Police arrested a Korean who was buying rice in the black market for violating the Price Control Act. On his way to being taken to the police station, the suspect escaped and ran into the branch of the Association of Korean Residents in Japan. The police demanded them to hand over the suspect but the Koreans refused.
On January 24, 40 Koreans forced their way into the Shichijo Police Station and confronted the chief of the station. Street vendors and gamblers who had been clashing with the Koreans since immediately after the end of the war learned that 'unlawful foreigners had forced their way into the Shichijo police station' and 500 of them rushed to the station to support the police.
As the police chief was about to be handcuffed by the Koreans, vendors and gamblers dashed into the station chief's room with police officers and forced the Koreans to leave.
To retaliate, Koreans gathered about 700 people and a major clash erupted including the vendors and the gamblers in front of Kyoto station.
The police asked for the mobilization of the Military Police and the clash was calmed down once the MPs came to the scene.
One Japanese and one Korean were killed and many injured in the incident.