Japan Press Weekly

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2015 September 16 - 29 [POLITICS]

Vandals arrested for damaging anti-base protesters’ tents in Henoko

The tent site of sit-in protesters opposing the U.S. base construction plan in Okinawa’s Henoko district was attacked by a group of vandals, while the governor is visiting Geneva to seek international support for his anti-base policy in a UN meeting.

The incident occurred between midnight of September 19 and the early morning of the next day. Around 20 men and women raided the tent site located in front of the gate of U.S. Camp Schwab, adjoining the planned construction site in Henoko. They tore up banners and vandalized the tents and chairs there. Trying to defend the site, two protesters suffered injuries.

Ashitomi Hiroshi, co-representative of an anti-base citizens’ group, on September 20 filed a damage report with the Nago City Police. The police arrested three suspects on the same day on charges of injurious assault and damage to articles.

According to Ashitomi, at around 4 pm on September 19 the assaulters came to the tent site and made nasty remarks using a microphone. Seven hours later, they returned to the site intoxicated. They shouted to the protesters, “Move the tents out!”, and took out knives to slash banners full of messages from supporters of Okinawans’ anti-base fight.

Ashitomi said, “I know there can be various views on the base issue, but I cannot tolerate such violence and brutality as it is socially unacceptable and negates democracy.”

Past related article:
> Anti-base protesters’ tents in Henoko vandalized [June 21 and 22, 2014]