08-08-2013

Okinawa

Workers, students and people rise in a blockade action at the gate of the US Futenma base

(1)
On Aug. 3rd, workers, students and people blocked the Nodake gate of the US Futenma Air Station arm in arm, with a firm resolve to stop the additional deployment of the MV-22 Ospreys, tilt-rotor air vehicles.

At 7 a.m., local students of Okinawa Kengakuren and other Zengakuren students from other regions rose in a blockade-action on the gate together with workers and residents joining them one after the other. “Stop the additional deployment of the Osprey!”“Block all of the gates!”Filled with vehement indignation, students, workers and residents overwhelmed the riot police, started sit-ins arm in arm and completely blocked the Nodake gate. At 8:20 a.m., following a command from the US Force authority, Japanese police units launched an attack on the workers, students and residents, forcibly pulling them out one by one. Moreover, it fabricated a charge of “obstructing the police in duties” and inexcusably arrested an activist who made a strong accusation against the violent police action. Burning with anger against the police’s suppression, the students fought fearlessly and more and more workers and residents joined them, standing up courageously against the oppression. The blockade-action was thus accomplished. (See the photo)

(2)
“Stop the deployment of the Osprey by united efforts of students and workers! Remove all of the US bases in Japan!” The revolutionary calls of the students and their courageous struggle gained a warm response from workers and residents in the protest. A heroic struggle of the students inspirited the following rallies which were organised by the Okinawa Peoples’ Conference. In the rallies where more than 300 people assembled, speakers raised calls next by next on the stage, “Denounce the police’s suppression!”, “Smash the Ampo! Overthrow the Abe government!”. Rank-and-file members of the JCP also joined the protest. The JCP leadership is making it a goal to ‘keep cooperation with progressive conservative politicians’ and, for that reason, prohibits its rank and file workers from raising the call ‘Smash the US-Japan military alliance’ in the protest. It presses them to keep away from the blockade-action, by saying ‘it’s an illegal action’. But they rejected the bureaucratic command, as they were inspirited by the fighting students and workers. They are leaving the JCP leadership one after another.

(3) At last, the US Force authority deployed 2 Ospreys on the day though it had planned 4 (the total planned number of the deployment is 12.) From irritation, it made the 2 Ospreys fly at extraordinarily low altitude right over the workers, students and residents in blockade-action at the gate. (See the photo) In order to stop the additional deployment of the Osprey, fighting workers and students in Okinawa have already prepared struggles for the coming days. The US Force authority is scheming to deploy 10 more of them. From Okinawa to all over the country, stir up the flame of ‘anti-Ampo! Stop the revision of the Constitution!’  (Aug. 3rd)

Denounce the US helicopter crash! Remove the bases!

On August 5th, in the middle of the burning struggle, a US military helicopter crashed into a hill in a northern part of Okinawa, causing a forest fire and threatening local residents. People’s anger is now seething. The US and Japanese governments decided ‘a temporal postponement’ of the Osprey deployment for fear that the accident will spur the anti-base struggle. In reality, people’s protest is growing day by day. The deployment has now stopped. We will continue to fight to remove the US bases. (Aug. 5th)