Tens of thousands of protesters gathered Saturday in Okinawa vowing to stop the planned relocation of a U. S military base on the southern Japanese island. Opponents of the relocation say the plan to move U. S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a crowded neighborhood to a less populated
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered Saturday in Okinawa vowing to stop the planned relocation of a U. S military base on the southern Japanese island.
Opponents of the relocation say the plan to move U. S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a crowded neighborhood to a less populated coastal site would not only be an environmental debacle but also ignore local wishes to have the base moved from the island entirely.
About 70,000 people gathered at park in the state capital of Naha under pouring rain ahead of an approaching typhoon and observed a moment of silence for Okinawa’s governor, Takeshi Onaga, who died Wednesday of cancer.
Onaga, elected in 2014, had spearheaded opposition to the relocation and criticized the central government for ignoring the voices of Okinawans. He had filed lawsuits against the central government and said he planned to revoke a landfill permit issued by his predecessor that is needed for construction of the new base.
Deputy Gov Kiichiro Jahana, representing Onaga at Saturday’s rally, said he will follow through with the revocation process as instructed by the governor and succeed his «strong determination and passion.
