“No to relocation within Okinawa!” message to Government – 90,000 gather in Okinawa Prefecture Rally

Floods of people – The “Okinawa Prefecture Rally for Early Closure of US Futemma Air Base and Its Relocation to Outside Japan or Okinawa and against Its Relocation within the Prefecture” was held at the Yomitan Village Stadium in Okinawa. 90,000 people gathered in the stadium (photo). They said “No!” to the Japanese Government that tried to seek the relocation within the prefecture while publicly stating the relocation “at least to outside Okinawa Prefecture”. People came to the stadium one after another even before the start of the rally, causing nearby roads to be congested. Some almost missed the gathering due to the inching traffic. There were many groups of two or even three generations of families, and many junior high and high school students. Mayors and assembly chairpersons of all cities, towns and villages in the prefecture, the Okinawa governor and the prefectural assembly chairperson also joined the rally and appealed the relocation of the Futemma Air Base to outside the prefecture. (Reported by Gasha Kaori) - Video of the rally (All of the rally recorded) - Photos of the rally (by Kimura)


「県内移設 NO！」を政府に突きつける～沖縄県民大会に9万人
押し寄せる人、人、人－。「米軍普天間飛行場の早期閉鎖・返還と移設に反対し、国外・県外移設を求める県民大会」が4月25日、沖縄県読谷村の読谷村運動広場で開催された。会場には9万人が結集（写真）。「最低でも県外」を公約に掲げながら県内移設を模索する政府に対し、NO！を突き付けた。大会前から会場には続々と参加者が集まり、周辺の道路は渋滞した。渋滞のため、大会終了間際になっても到着できない参加者も。親子連れや三世代の家族連れの参加者、中高校生の姿も多数あった。県内の市町村、すべての首長・議長らも参加し、普天間の県外移設を訴えた。（我謝香織）・県民大会ビデオ（全記録）・大会写真(木村）