5-30-08, 10:02 am

Original source: Akahata

Protesters shout ‘Don’t turn Sukumo Port into a U.S. naval base!’

On the early morning of May 21, the U.S. Aegis missile destroyer O’Kane based at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, made a call at Sukumo Port in Kochi Prefecture, western Japan.

About 180 people, including political party representatives and peace activists, held a rally in protest against the USS O’Kane’s entry into the port. They marched in demonstration holding a sign that read, “Don’t turn Sukumo Port into a U.S. naval base!” and shouting “O’Kane, go back to Hawaii!”

Speaking at the rally, Kochi Peace Committee Secretary Wada Tadaaki said, “The aim of this port call of a U.S. warship, the second since 2006, is to examine Sukumo Bay’s feasibility as a U.S. naval base serving the U.S. military strategy. Let us make efforts to frustrate the U.S. government’s attempt to accomplish this.”

Japanese Communist Party representative as well as representatives from the Democratic, Social Democratic, and New Socialist parties made speeches

JCP candidate for the House of Representative in the Kochi No.3 constituency Murakami Nobuo said, “The O’Kane is equipped with nuclear-capable Tomahawk cruise missiles. In order to prevent U.S. warships from bringing nuclear weapons into the Sukumo Bay, we will do all we can to increase our opposition and to heighten public commitment to never allow the U.S. vessels’ entry into Sukumo Port.”

The rally adopted a statement of protest against Sukumo City Mayor Nakanishi Seiji, the U.S. President, and the Commander of the O’Kane.

May 22, 2008

Sit-in against U.S. base construction marks 1500th day

On May 25, about 300 people took part in a rally to commemorate the 1500th day of the residents’ sit-in against the construction of a new U.S. base in the sea off the Henoko district of Okinawa.

May 27 is the 1500th day since the sit-in protest in the Henoko beach started on April 19, 2004.

On behalf of the organizers, Ashitomi Hiroshi, representative of the Nago Council against the Construction of the U.S. On-Sea Heliport, spoke. He stated that it has become clearer that a new base must not be built, citing the U.S. Federal District Court’s decision ordering the U.S. government to consider the impact of the base construction on dugong, the endangered species living in the Henoko area, as well as the recent discovery of a colony of blue coral there.

Speakers included representatives of other organizations and Dietmembers.

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken encouraged participants by stating, “The struggle in Henoko is shaking the Japan-U.S. military alliance.”

May 26, 2008

From Akahata