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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

1,200 Okinawans rally against new U.S. air base

About 1,200 people held a rally in heavy rain on May 25 in Naha City to oppose the plan to construct a new U.S. air base on the shoreline of U.S. Marine Corps Camp Schwab and the reinforcement of operational functions of U.S. bases in Okinawa.

At the rally site, Yamauchi Tokushin, co-chair of the Okinawa Council against Relocation of U.S. Futenma Air Station, on behalf of rally organizer criticized Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro for his unilateral decision to impose the plan to further strengthen U.S. bases in Okinawa.

Ashitomi Hiroshi, Nago Council against the Construction of U.S. On-Sea Heliport representative, called on the participants to unite to bloc the new base plan.

Representatives of the Japanese Communist Party (Maeda Masaaki, vice prefectural committee chair and prefectural assembly member), the Okinawa Social Mass Party, and the Social Democratic Party gave speeches.
- Akahata, May 26, 2006