Japan Press Weekly

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2015 September 9 - 15 [US FORCES]

8,000 people rally to oppose US plan to permanently deploy nuclear carrier to Yokosuka

In protest against the planned replacement of the nuclear aircraft carrier deployed to the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base in Kanagawa Prefecture, a rally took place on September 13 in Yokosuka City with about 8,000 people participating.

The U.S. military is planning to deploy the USS Ronald Reagan powered by two nuclear reactors to Yokosuka from the beginning of October. It will be a successor to the USS George Washington that was stationed at the base since September 2008.

In the rally, National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) President Odagawa Yoshikazu gave a speech on behalf of the organizing committee. He stressed the importance of increasing concerted efforts to oppose U.S. bases across the country and to seek the scrapping of the controversial national security legislation.

Japanese Communist Party members of the House of Representatives Kokuta Keiji and Hatano Kimie also took part in the rally. Kokuta said in his speech, “Deploying a nuclear aircraft carrier to the Yokosuka base permanently is tantamount to building a nuclear power plant in the middle of Japan’s capital metropolitan area which has a population of over 30 million. We can never accept such a reckless plan.”

The mayors and city assembly heads of Sagamihara and Yamato sent their messages of solidarity.

Past related article:
> Goodbye forever USS George Washington! Don’t come here, USS Ronald Reagan! [May 19, 2015]