Ginowan City September 12 held a rally to protest the August 13 crash of a U.S. Marines helicopter on the campus of Okinawa International University (OIU), demanding the closure of the U.S. Marine Corps base.

About 30,000 people assembled on the university grounds at the call of Ginowan Mayor Iha Yoichi. The number of participants was much greater than expected.

Participants adopted a resolution stating, "More than 88,000 Ginowan citizens who wish to protect their lives protest the recent crash and the way the accident was dealt with." It demanded that six urgent steps be taken, including an early return of the Futenma base, a review of the plan to relocate the base to the Henoko district of Nago City, and a drastic review of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

Iha in his speech said, "The accident has revealed the U.S. Futenma base is life threatening, and the plan to relocate it to Henoko won't get rid of this danger." He also expressed hope that the government will "start negotiating with the U.S. toward an immediate suspension of the base's flight functions, its ultimate closure, and early return of the land to Japan."

Iha called on Okinawa Governor Inamine Keiichi, who is clinging to the relocation plan to Henoko, to gather courage to squarely face the dangers of the base.

OIU President Toguchi Tomoaki stated, "The crash threatened the lives of everyone in the university as well as nearby residents, and the SOFA infringed on the university's autonomy." He also stressed, "Noise pollution caused by U.S. military flights and various accidents are already unbearable."

The rally was attended by Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi.

http://www.japan-press.co.jp/2398/okinawa5.html

It seems like they really want the US base to go away.
And I think I can understand their reasoning for it.
I'd be pissed if I heard helicopter noises every day.
Then one crashing into a campus?
Yeah they really have to do something about this.

i got good news ogumo. LISTEN UP EVERYONE!!! George bush said he will pull troops out of japan and korea and deploy them to iraq.

Wow. That shall be interesting.

But I think that applied only to Korea?

If the US soldiers don't leave Okinawa then the Okinawans should commit kamikaze attacks on their bases.

Interesting. I don't think all Okinawans really want to help the Japanese as some of them still see Japan as an occupying power after a century and a half, but it would be quite an interesting idea.

I just don't see this happening. However, I feel bad for those students who are trying to study for their future and then an American helichopter fell out of the sky.

Japanese people don't believe in committing suicide anymore (except for the occasional eccentrics).

Okinawans do consider themselves Japanese. The "Japanese = occupational force" idea is a view that Americans try to enforce on their own citizens to legitimize American occupation. Okinawans believe that they are Japanese as do mainlanders believe Okinawans to be Japanese.

If you're concerned about students and their college education, i think you should be more concerned about the elementary, middle, and high school students of niigata.

Perhaps I am thinking in the past. I stand corrected. But there are a few Okinawans which see the Japanese as occupying powers.

To be honest the people of Okinawa are right to be mad the Americans who hang there and eff up the whole place, not to mention constantly have cases of rapings and such. Maybe its good that there heading to Iraq. but then i woulnt wish that on anyone
"War is Hell"

Goodevening Meatball. It has been along time. I do not see it happening either. However if they want to commit suicide to draw attention. They should burn themselves alive in front of these facilities. One man each hour. I would support such a act. One extreme to counter the other extreme. Though the possibility of that to happen is incredibly unlikely.