Japan Press Weekly

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2012 August 29 - September 4 [US FORCES]

US Army forcibly conducts exercise in densely populated area

Members of the Sagamihara City Peace Committee in Kanagawa Prefecture on August 28 held an activity to monitor the U.S. Forces’ medical exercise (MEDEX 2012).

The U.S. Army Japan held the MEDEX for the first time in 12 years in Sagamihara City on August 17, and the exercise will continue until September 2.

The training was opened to the press on August 28.

The forces set up intensive care units, ordinary wards, and operating rooms in tents at the Sagami General Depot. “Wounded” soldiers were carried in one after another by helicopter or ambulance.

“Stop the MEDEX!” protesters cried out near the base during the exercise, displaying a horizontal banner which read, “Military drills NEVER ACCEPTED in the middle of a densely populated area”.

Japanese Communist Party candidate for the Lower House Hatano Kimie told the participants that she requested the Japanese foreign and defense ministries to lodge a protest to the training.

Tanaka Takeo, chair of the local peace committee, said, “We will start actions to prevent such military drills from being repeated.”