Thousands of demonstrators form a human
chain around Japan's parliament in Tokyo
Sunday ,protesting the planned construction
of a new US airbase on the southern Island
of Okinawa.
The protesters who organisers said numbered
about 15,000,surrounded the parliament
building ,holding banners reading "No to
Henoko"in the latest rally against the
conttoversal base.
Henoko is a small caostal area on Okinawa,
where Tokyo and Washington pan to relocate
the existing Futenma military facility currently
situated in built-up Ginowan
Okinawa is home to more than half of the
47,000 US service personal stationed in
Japan as part of a defence alliance ,a
proportion many islanders say is too high.
The plan to move Futenma ,first mooted
in 1996 has become the focus of anger among
locals ,who insist it should be shuttered and t
a replacement built else where in Japan or overseas.
Both Tokyo and Washington have repeatedly
backed the plan,with Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe last month insisting it was "the only solution"
The protestors on Sunday also expressed
opposition to Washington's scheduled deployment
of CV22 Osprey aircraft at US Yokota
Air Base in Tokyo
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