Let’s Abolish US Base from Okinawa! - 6,000 People Gather at Rally on Futenma Base

On Jan. 30, about 6,000 people gathered at Tokyo’s Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall for a rally called, “We don’t need Futenma Air Base: We don’t allow construction of a new base in Henoko.” The people overflowed from the venue into the park. Many who came from Okinawa, Diet members and others from citizens groups stood at the podium to say their piece. Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine, 64, won the last mayoral election with opposition views against relocation of Futenma Air Base to Henoko. His victory was said to express the public views. With that, the Tokyo venue was filled with vitality and participants were vibrant. They criticized Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who repeated the importance of saving lives of citizens in his policy speech to open the Diet session a few days ago, and yelled, “If you want to save our lives, you should get rid of bases, US military or Self-Defence Forces.” After the rally closed, they marched to trendy fashion district of Ginza shouting, “Let’s get rid of US bases from Okinawa! Let’s create peaceful Asia!” (By Y)　Photo flash・Video (YouTube) 　*Photo = People overflowing the concert hall


沖縄から米軍基地をなくそう！～普天間問題の全国集会に6000人
　1月30日、東京・日比谷野外音楽堂で、「普天間基地はいらない 辺野古・新基地建設を許さない全国集会」が開催され、約6000人（主催者発表）が集まった。満員の会場に入れない人は周辺で待機。現地沖縄から駆けつけた多数の人々が壇上にあがり、衆参の国会議員、市民団体などが次々と発言した。先の名護市長選では、「普天間飛行場の辺野古移設反対」を掲げた稲嶺進氏が当選した。この民意を受けて会場は活気に満ち、参加者は気勢をあげた。とりわけ「命（を守る）」を連呼した鳩山首相の施政方針演説に触れ、「命を守るのなら、基地も、米軍も、自衛隊もいらない」との批判が相次いだ。閉会後、いくつものてい団に分かれ、「沖縄から米軍基地をなくそう！　平和なアジアを作ろう！」と力強いシュプレヒコールを繰り返しながら、銀座をデモ行進した。（Ｙ） 写真速報・動画（YouTube）　＊写真＝超満員の会場