Rally held against U.S. Marine Corps live ammunition exercises in Hokkaido

   On September 2, about 500 people took part in a rally against the U.S. Marine Corps live ammunition exercises to be conducted at the Ground Self-Defense Force Yausubetsu Exercises Field in Hokkaido.

   It has been 11 years since the U.S. Marine Corps relocated part of its live ammunition exercises that the force conducted in Okinawa to other parts of Japan. Although they suspended the exercises in the SDF exercise fields of Hijudai (Oita Pref.), Kitafuji (Yamanashi Pref.), and Ojojihara (Miyagi Pref.), they are still planning to carry it out for 14 days starting on September 14 in Yausubetsu, the SDF’s largest training field.

   In the rally held in Bekkai Town hosting the base, Miyauchi Satoru, who heads the Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers’ Hokkaido office, said, “While the U.S. forces in Iraq are locked in a stalemate, the U.S. Marine Corps are trying to concentrate on expanding the exercises in Yausubetsu. We must not allow them to turn Hokkaido into a U.S. base.”

   Participants marched in demonstration after the rally.

- Akahata, September 3, 2007