Man attacking Tokyo Christmas parade is tackled and subdued by Disneyland workers

A Christmas-themed parade at the Tokyo Disneyland was disrupted by a homeless man who was tackled by costumed cast members at the theme park and removed forcibly.

The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon at around 3.45pm when the Christmas parade passing through the fantasyland was suddenly obstructed by a 51-year-old man who barged into the middle of the procession, according to local media reports.

Videos recorded by visitors from several angles and posted on social media show a middle aged man jumping on to the stage when the costumed employees were performing. The man is seen waving his arms and jumping up and down as the cast performed.

He also reportedly charged towards an employee dressed as an elf, who luckily got out of the way, according to the South China Morning Post.

Security officials at the theme park are seen rushing towards the stage and trying to subdue the man, holding him with their collective body weight for a few minutes. The man was later forcibly removed by seven security guards.

The disruption occurred right in front of the Cinderella Castle beneath the Donald and Daisy Duck float during the Disney Christmas Stories parade.

According to the PR department of Oriental Land Co, the operator of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, the parade resumed after about six minutes.

After the incident, a call was received by the local police about a man “making a fuss during the Disneyland parade and causing trouble”, according to Sankei News.

Local media outlets quoted the police as saying that the unnamed suspect lived in Ichihara in Chiba Prefecture and told officers he has a history of mental illness, according to Japan Today.

“It was not my intent to cause any trouble,” the man reportedly told the police.