Okinawans hold 1,000th noon hour demonstration against nuclear weapons

Peace activists in Okinawa on April 4 held their 1,000th noon hour demonstration against nuclear weapons in Naha City.

The first demonstration took place on February 17, 1984, in protest against the U.S. deployment of Tomahawk missiles to warships. Since then, residents of the "U.S. base islands" have kept holding the noon hour demonstration every Friday for 19 years.

About 200 participants in the 1,000th action marched around the prefectural office, holding banners and placards stating, "No war" and "Stop the attack on Iraq."

A representative of the Japanese Communist Party Okinawa Prefectural Committee called on the demonstrators to jointly struggle to foil the wartime bills that the Koizumi government wants to enact before the Iraq war ends. (end)