 Anti-nuclear marchers call for halt to U.S. aircraft NLP In Kanagawa Prefecture on May 11, about 170 participants in the local anti-nuclear march, which was held as part of the National Peace March (Tokyo-Hiroshima course) calling for nuclear weapons abolition, staged a protest against touch-and-go exercises (night-landing practices or NLPs) at the U.S. Navy Atsugi Air Station. They marched through Kanagawa's Yamato and Ayase cities that are hosting the U.S. Naval Atsugi Air Station and are suffering from severe noise pollution caused by the NLP by aircraft on the U.S. aircraft carrier homeported at Yokosuka in Tokyo Bay. In front of the main gate of the Atsugi base, they demanded that the U.S. forces cancel the planned NLP from May 18. Ayase City Mayor Kasama Seijiro welcomed the marchers in front of the city building and expressed hope for the people to create a peaceful society in compliance with the Three Non-nuclear Principles. He encouraged the participants by saying, "Efforts like yours will help create world peace." - Akahata, May 12, 2005 |