Japan Press Weekly

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2015 December 16 - 22 [POLITICS]

Anti-war US veterans join in sit-in protest at Henoko

The U.S. veterans’ anti-war group, Veterans for Peace (VFP), has participated in Okinawans’ anti-base struggles such as the sit-in protest against the Henoko base construction in solidarity, Akahata on December 16 reported.

After arriving in Japan on December 9, a group of 11 VFP members visited the Henoko district in Okinawa’s Nago City and joined the ongoing sit-in protest in front of the gate of U.S. Camp Schwab adjoining the new base construction site. On December 14, they received a warm welcome from Okinawans at a gathering marking the establishment of a prefecture-wide anti-base organization. On the following day, they visited Ginowan City which hosts the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to take part in a protest action that local Okinawans have been waging in front of base gates to demand the removal of Ospreys from Okinawa and the closure of the Futenma base.

VFP member and former U.S. marine Ken Mayers was once assigned to the Futenma base in the 1960s. Stating that although nearly a half-century has passed since he was stationed at the base, his recognition of it as a very dangerous base remains unchanged, he stressed that such a base should be removed without delay.

Another VFP member, Ann Wright, who had resigned her position in the U.S. Army in protest against the Iraq War, said that to construct a new base at a different location within Okinawa in order to close the Futenma base does not make any sense. All land used by the U.S. military should be returned to Okinawan people, she added.

As a sign of solidarity, VFP members handed to Okinawan activists banners saying “Close Futenma Air Station” in both Japanese and English.