28,000 Protest War-Mongering, US Military Footprint in Japan
Published on Monday, February 22, 2016
28,000 Protest War-Mongering, US Military Footprint in Japan
28,000 protesters circled Japan's parliament on Sunday to voice their fierce opposition to the proposed relocation of a U.S. base on Okinawa, while synchronized protests took place nationwide
by Nika Knight, staff writer
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A protester at Sunday's rallies against U.S. bases on Okinawa. (Photo: AFP)
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Tens of thousands of protesters surrounded Japan's parliament on Sunday in the latest rally against the unpopular plan to relocate a U.S. Marine Corps base to Okinawa's northern coast, while simultaneous protests took place in the cities of Toyama, Okayama, Sapporo, Nagoya, and Osaka.
"Don't build the base," and "follow the will of Okinawa," shouted the protesters, according to Reuters and Business Standard. The protests took place in advance of Japan's upcoming parliamentary elections in July.
The plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from heavily populated areas to the island's less-populated Henoko coastal area of Nago was first proposed by the Japanese and U.S. governments 20 years ago, after a local 12-year-old girl was gang raped by U.S. service members.
“The central government is trying to force through landfill work to move the base to Henoko, but justice and righteousness are on our side,” Nago mayor Susume Inamine told the Japan Times at the rally on Sunday.
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Protesters in front of Japan's Parliament on Sunday. (Photo: AFP-JIJI)
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More:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/02/22/28000-protest-war-mongering-us-military-footprint-japan
