August prefectural rally against Henoko soil deposits expected to draw over 30,000 participants

 

June 21, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

The Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) has received notification from the Okinawa Defense Bureau (ODB) that depositing soil into the ocean will commence on August 17 as part of the construction of a replacement facility for Futenma Air Station in Henoko, Nago City. On June 20 at a meeting in Naha City, the All-Okinawa Coalition Against Construction of the New Base in Henoko decided to hold a prefectural citizens’ rally on August 11 toward blocking soil deposits.

Over 30,000 people are planning to attend. The rally will be held on Onoyama Park’s athletic field in Naha City at 11:00 a.m. on August 11. Governor Takeshi Onaga will be invited to attend.

 

The Coalition also decided to hold a prefectural gathering in front of the gate to Camp Schwab in Henoko, Nago on July 7 at noon.

Those gathered will be requesting that dugongs and coral be protected, that soil depositing not be allowed, and that the construction of the new base be abandoned.

Over 2,000 people plan to attend this gathering.

At a post-meeting press conference, Director Takashi Yamamoto of the All-Okinawa Coalition said, “The fight against the new base in Henoko is coming to a head.” He also expressed his desire to hold successive actions and rallies to bring Okinawans’ popular sentiment to the forefront again and again, and to initiate a course of events that will block construction of the base. Representative Tetsumi Takara of the Coalition said, “I want to reiterate that we will not give up.”

 

(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)

 

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