Town assembly members march in protest against U.S. fighter training
Most assembly members of a local town in Fukuoka Prefecture marched in demonstration against allowing U.S. forces to use the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Tsuiki Base in the town for training. They were warmly welcomed by the townspeople.
The Chikujo Town Assembly members are opposing the plan to shift flight training exercises by U.S. fighters from the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa to SDF bases in mainland Japan, including one at Tsuiki, under the Japan-U.S. agreement on realigning U.S. forces in Japan.
Twenty six out of a total of 30 assembly members took part in the march. Those who did not show up were either ill or on public duty. Holding a banner reading "Let's make Chikujo safe. Nobody wants a strengthening of the SDF Tsuiki Base--the town assembly," they walked from JR Tsuiki Station to the SDF Tsuiki Base. They petitioned the base commander that there should be no base reinforcement.
Tsujigami Hiroshi, town assembly special committee chair (Japanese Communist Party), stated, "Our demonstration is an implementation of the assembly's unanimous resolution against U.S. air drills at the Tsuiki base. Citizens are anxious about possible accidents, noise pollution, and adverse effects on the public order by U.S. fighter exercises. We must increase our campaign hand in hand with residents."
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.
Nagasaki prefectural residents want U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier out of Sasebo Port
About 180 workers, women, and young people on May 28 took part in a rally in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, in protest against the port call at Sasebo Port by the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, now berthing in the port.
Protesters marched in demonstration through the city, shouting "Get out of Sasebo! Don't let U.S. nuclear carriers enter freely into A-bombed Nagasaki Prefecture!"
Japanese Communist Party House of Representatives member Akamine Seiken at the rally said, "Every two years, a U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier comes into Sasebo Port. I'm concerned that U.S. forces will make Sasebo a secondary homeport for U.S. nuclear aircraft carriers, leading to the strengthening of the functions of U.S. military bases in the Kyushu region."
Akamine called on participants to increase the movement in A-bombed Nagasaki Prefecture in order to prevent Sasebo from turning into a stronghold for U.S. invasions and Japan from turning into a country to fight in foreign wars.
The captain of the Lincoln said that the Lincoln's call at Sasebo is aimed at improving joint military operations with the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
