This is the first day of the five-day long protest campain. Many people gathered in front of the gate and at the piers of Awa and Shiokawa, respectively. The protestors, realizing at 7:00 a.m. that no construction work would be done that day, said to each other with a sigh of relief, “Unexpected event!” The gate remained closed with no movement recoginized at the pier of Awa. No civilian security guards nor policemen were seen at the pier of Shiokawa. There were only a few people in front of the gate of Camp Schwab in the morning because the news of no construction work spread on the previous day. Around midday, 20 members of the Asian Pacific American Labor Allians(APALA) visited us at the gate, and we, together with them, had a good time with exchanging speeches and songs. The APALA members seemed to be somewhat disappointed because they missed a chance to participate in the sit-in.
Tommorrow, the 22nd of October, the government offices will be closed for the new emperor’s enthronement ceremony, and no construction work will be done. We win by default at least two days out of the five-day campaign.
（Others）
A part fell from a U.S. aircraft again! According to the Okinawa Defence Bureau, on Oct 21, it was found that a part (3.6 kg in weight) of the main landing gear of MC130J, a special operations task force aircraft at the U.S.Kadena Air Base, had been missing. It was also repoted that the missing part was recovered in the ground of Kadena Air Base, but it is unknown when and how it dropped off. Notification to Okinawa Prefecture was delayed, and the local municipal office chiefs deplored the negligence in timely reporting.
The same-type aircrafts were still continuing their training on the 21st, the people living near the Kadena Air Base complained.
“Don’t fly over the local residential area.”
“We will be definitely killed if a part falls on our heads.”
The U.S. aircrafts have accidents almost every year in Okinawa, and the experts suggest that the accidents occurred due not only to mistakes in maintenance but also to lack of the U.S. Forces’ safty awareness.
