June 30, 2014
Anti-base activists on June 29 held a rally in Higashi Village, Okinawa Prefecture, to commemorate the 7th anniversary of their sit-in action against the construction of U.S. military helipads in the Takae district in the village.
Around 450 people took part in the rally. Isa Masatsugu, who heads a residents’ group opposing the construction plan, delivered a speech.
Senaga Kazuo, secretary general of the Okinawa United Action Liaison Council (Toitsuren), in his speech cited a news report of a local paper that the government plans to start both the construction of the helipads in Takae and an undersea drilling survey in preparation for the construction of a new U.S. base in the Henoko district in Nago City as early as late July. He expressed his determination to thwart the two attempts and called on the audience to work to have an anti-base candidate win in the coming gubernatorial election in November.
Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken stated that public support for the Takae protesters is growing throughout Japan. He called on the participants to reject the government’s empty argument that helipads are needed in Takae to ease the military burden on Ginowan City which presently hosts the U.S. Futenma base.
Regarding a lawsuit where the national government sued Takae residents for their sit-in protest actions, Ikemiyagi Norio, head of the lawyers’ group for the residents criticized the court for finding Isa guilty. “Takae residents’ struggles have not ended. We lawyers will strengthen our efforts in their behalf,” he stressed.
Past related articles
> Top Court approves SLAPP suit seeking to defeat residents’ opposition to US helipad construction in Okinawa [June 20, 2014]
> Okinawans’ sit-in protest against US helipad construction reaches 6th year [July 1, 2013]
Around 450 people took part in the rally. Isa Masatsugu, who heads a residents’ group opposing the construction plan, delivered a speech.
Senaga Kazuo, secretary general of the Okinawa United Action Liaison Council (Toitsuren), in his speech cited a news report of a local paper that the government plans to start both the construction of the helipads in Takae and an undersea drilling survey in preparation for the construction of a new U.S. base in the Henoko district in Nago City as early as late July. He expressed his determination to thwart the two attempts and called on the audience to work to have an anti-base candidate win in the coming gubernatorial election in November.
Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken stated that public support for the Takae protesters is growing throughout Japan. He called on the participants to reject the government’s empty argument that helipads are needed in Takae to ease the military burden on Ginowan City which presently hosts the U.S. Futenma base.
Regarding a lawsuit where the national government sued Takae residents for their sit-in protest actions, Ikemiyagi Norio, head of the lawyers’ group for the residents criticized the court for finding Isa guilty. “Takae residents’ struggles have not ended. We lawyers will strengthen our efforts in their behalf,” he stressed.
Past related articles
> Top Court approves SLAPP suit seeking to defeat residents’ opposition to US helipad construction in Okinawa [June 20, 2014]
> Okinawans’ sit-in protest against US helipad construction reaches 6th year [July 1, 2013]
