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Court ruling: Anti-U.S. helipad sit-ins are not sabotage

The Naha District Court on December 11 decided that sit-in protests against the plan to construct U.S. military helipads in the Takae district of Higashi Village in Okinawa do not constitute an obstacle to traffic.

The court also dismissed a claim filed by the Naha Regional Defense Facilities Administration Bureau for a removal of four tents, but acknowledged that two leaders of theh Association of Residents against the Helicopter Padh obstructed traffic.

The defense authorities filed a complaint against 14 members of the Association, seeking a court order to eject the sit-in protesters on the grounds that they are blocking traffic and are gillegally trespassing on public property rights beyond the extent of reasonable expression.h

After the court decision, the legal team of defendants published a statement, gThe court has regarded residentsf speeches and other peaceful activities as justifiable. The residents will continue taking part in the anti-U.S. helipad actions.h The lawyers said they will file a complaint over the unfair ruling of the two leaders of the Association.

The defense authorities were apparently trying to crack down on residentsf protest actions against the state plan to construct military facilities in their district.

It is natural for the court to judge that as long as residentsf actions to persuade or complain to defense bureau officials are based on their political belief in opposition to the construction of helipads, these actions should be accepted and respected to a certain extent.

The court recognized that the judicial approach that the state used this time to split residents and weaken their activities was unjustifiable.

- Akahata, December 12, 2009


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