Police yesterday dragged away elderly protesters trying to block work on a contentious US airbase in Okinawa, as the Japanese government resumed building even though the Okinawa governor had revoked a work permit for the site.
Residents of Okinawa, the site of bloody battles near the end of World War II, resent hosting any US military at all, and oppose the government’s plan to move the US Marines’ Futenma base to another location on the southern island.
Protests backing the stand taken by Okinawa have drawn tens of thousands of people, and perceptions of bullying by the government could dent support ratings for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ahead of an election next year.
Photo: AP
Two weeks ago, anti-base Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga, who has accused Abe of looking down on Okinawa, revoked the permit issued by his predecessor for key landfill work needed for the new base.
However, the government ignored it, citing the need for “administrative continuity.”
About 100 protesters, many of them elderly, gathered early yesterday to block the way for construction trucks and bulldozers, before police dragged them away.
One elderly woman with a cane yelled: “Put me down,” as she was hauled off in a chair.
“What are you doing?” another white-haired woman shouted at police. “Aren’t you supposed to be protecting citizens?”
Onaga told reporters that Okinawa would continue to resist.
“All I can sense is strong-arm governance, which is extremely unfortunate,” he added.
The US and Japan agreed in 1996 to close Futenma, located in a densely populated area that the central government says makes it one of the “most dangerous airports in the world,” but plans to move it stalled due to opposition from residents worried about noise, pollution and crime.
Tokyo said it intends to stick to the agreement.
“We in the government want to proceed with the Futenma move as soon as possible,” Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshige Seko told a news conference.
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