Henoko: American peace movement participant Loan directs song to those inside base

Henoko: American peace movement participant Loan directs song to those inside base

Jason Rawn sings musician Johnny Cash’s songs calling for peace and nonviolence while facing the U.S. military’s Camp Schwab base in Henoko, Nago on February 9.


February 9, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On the early morning of February 9, a total of around 100 protesters opposing the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko, Nago gathered in front of Camp Schwab. Around 50 protesters each gathered in front of two of Camp Schwab’s gates. The sit-in protests previously held in front of yet another gate were not held, and around ten vehicles appearing to be related to the base construction entered that gate. No visible construction work was conducted offshore in the waters adjacent to Camp Schwab.

Starting from before 7 a.m., around 100 prefectural police officers and riot police from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department waited at the gate where sit-in protests are usually held, but since protesters were not there, they did not need to remove anyone from the scene. Protesters instead marched and demonstrated in front of the other two gates, calling out, “Stop illegal land reclamation now!” and other calls of protest.

Joining the protests was Jason Rawn, 42, an American from Maine who came to Okinawa and participates in the peace movement. Loan performed on the guitar and sang Johnny Cash’s “Don’t Take Your Guns To Town,” a song calling for peace and nonviolence. He directed the song to those inside the base.

(English translation by T&CT and Sandi Aritza)

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