A press
conference, “Urgent appeal from citizen supporters ~ make Futemma and Henoko
bases an issue in the general election!”, was held on Oct. 12 at the Hall of
House of Councilors in Tokyo. The atmosphere was tense because a US military
helicopter had crashed in a farm of Takae in Higashison, Okinawa, just the day
before. In front of the Diet Building, there were people sitting with the
“Okinawa Times” in their hands with reports of the helicopter accident. One,
who was visibly angry, told us, “While the consumption tax becomes the point of
election campaign, no discussion is made on how much we spend for military
expenses or how much we waste for the riot police to construct the US military
helipad at Takae. We would be able to manage without raising the consumption
tax rate.” At the conference, KAWANA Mari, a member of the group “Citizens
Against Anti-Okinawa Media”, announced, “Yesterday, we submitted to the
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan a request asking them to take on the
review of the construction of a new US military base in Henoko.” (MIYUKI Emi)
沖縄基地問題を選挙の争点に！〜「高江ヘリ事故」翌日、市民有志が記者会見
１０月１２日午後、東京・参議院会館で「市民有志の緊急アピール普天間・辺野古基地問題を選挙の争点に！記者会見」が開かれた。前日には、沖縄県東村高江の集落に米軍ヘリが墜落したばかりで緊迫した雰囲気だった。国会前ではヘリ事故を報じる「沖縄タイムス」（写真）を掲げて座り込みをしている人たちがいた。その中の女性がインタビューに応じてくれた。「税金問題だとかと言っている時に、軍事費にどれだけお金を使っているのか、高江に基地をつくるために機動隊にどれだけ無駄にお金を使っているのか。このことが語られない。消費税をあげなくても十分やっていける」と憤っていた。午後３時から開始された記者会見で、「沖縄への偏見をあおる放送をゆるさない市民有志」の川名真理さんは「昨日、立憲民主党に、辺野古新基地建設見直しの取り組みを求める要請書を提出しました」と発表した。（見雪恵美）
