U.S. Marines' live-fire exercises at Mt.Fuji draw protests

The atmosphere of serenity at the foot of Mt.Fuji was suddenly broken on
November 5 when U.S. Marines arrived from their permanent base in Okinawa
and began their live-fire exercises, frightening the many tourists visiting
to enjoy the beautiful autumn leaves turning red and yellow.

About 100 residents in Yamanashi Prefecture on October 5 held an
emergency meeting and a demonstration in protest against the live-fire
exercises using 155 mm howitzers. Forty rounds were fired in the morning.

In the meeting called by the liaison council of democratic and peace
organizations in Yamanashi, participants adopted an appeal calling for an
immediate end to the U.S.-led retaliatory war against Afghanistan,
opposition to the law allowing Self-Defense Forces units to be sent abroad,
and an end to the U.S. Marines exercises.

Members of the liaison council will continue to monitor the exercises.

A souvenir store owner at the lakeside of Lake Yamanaka said that he is
scared because such U.S. exercises might be targets of terrorist attacks.
The training ground should be shut down, he added. (end)