Hundreds rally against plan to relocate US military base in Okinawa
Protesters opposing move of US military base in Okinawa took to the streets on Tuesday in advance of a visit to the area by American Ambassador Caroline Kennedy
Several hundred people rallied on Tuesday ahead of a visit by US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy to the Japanese island of Okinawa to protest plans to relocate an American military base there.
Okinawa is home to more than half of the 47,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral defence pact. Kennedy, who arrived later on Tuesday, is to meet with Okinawan officials and may view the base relocation site during her three-day visit, Kyodo News agency reported.
Holding signs that read, “No base!” and “Bring democracy to Okinawa,” more than 300 protesters, many of them families with children, marched on the main street of Naha to the sound of drums and music, urging authorities to remove the US bases from the island altogether.
“We as Okinawan people gave our answer many, many times that we don’t want maritime bases here,” said English teacher Kazue Nakamura-Huber, 47. “We want to stop the [new] base project here.”
Many Okinawans feel unfairly burdened by hosting many US military facilities on the island, which holds a strategic location in the East China Sea, relatively close to China and Taiwan.
