Original post at Popular Resistance by Ryukyu Shimpo
Citizen groups gathered on the beach in the Henoko district of Nago in Okinawa for a protest rally against the construction of a new offshore U.S. air base in Henoko to replace Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, on September 20. It was the second rally within a month. The first rally was held in front of Camp Schwab on August 23, attracting about 3,600 people. According to the organizer, about 5,500 people took part in the protest rally this time. Insisting they would not allow the U.S. and Japanese governments to build the new base, which they say threatens peace, the participants expressed their opposition against the plan to move the base inside Okinawa.
The executive committee consists of the “All Okinawa United Forum,” Okinawa Peace Movement Center, and an organization of opposition lawmakers elected from Okinawa, four fractions of opposition parties in the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly, and the Prefectural United Coalition, Peaceful Citizen Liaison Council, and Residents Council Against the Helipad Construction.
Representatives of each organization, Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine and Naha Mayor Takeshi Onaga, and a university student took the platform, asking the U.S. and Japanese governments to stop the construction.
They have adopted a resolution to call for Okinawan people to continue to work towards stopping construction of the new base.
