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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Nago citizens hold meeting to protest against mayor's approval of construction of U.S. base in shallow waters

About 300 citizens of Nago City, Okinawa, on October 8 converged on the city office to protest against the mayor's support for the new plan to construct a U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in shallow waters along U.S. Camp Schwab in the city's Henoko district.

This plan is one of two options that have been floated after a plan to relocate the present U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station (Ginowan City) to a site to be constructed on the reef off Henoko was wrecked due to strong opposition from residents as well as environmental groups. The other is a plan to relocate it to U.S. Cap Schwab in Nago City.

A representative of the local association against the construction of a U.S. helicopter base, Yasutsugu Tomihiro, in his speech at the rally said, "The Japanese and U.S. governments are still looking for a site for the U.S. Marine Corps unit. This is because our struggle has forced them to abandon their base plan. Out struggle has the power to force them to cancel any base construction plans. We hope more and more people to join us in this struggle."

Akamine Seiken, Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives, said, "Japan has the war renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution and must never intimidate other Asian countries by constructing such new U.S. bases under the Japan-U.S. military alliance." -- Akahata, October 9, 2005