We went to a meeting of the Nago City assembly to hear with our own ears about the position that the new Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi holds on the issue of the new Henoko military base construction. Mr. Taketoyo Toguchi succeeded the former mayor of Nago City, Mr. Susumu Inamine, in January last year. We were shocked by the new mayor’s elusive attitude and lack of his views. He could not answer honestly the questions asked by Mr. Ohshiro Yoshitami, a veteran member of the city assembly who has served the Nago City assembly for 11 terms and holds a strong position against the new base for 25 years. In response to several inquiries made by Mr. Ohshiro about the mayor’s personal thoughts concerning the new base, the only answer Mayor Toguchi gave was: “I respect and rely on the judgment results of the court battles between the government of Japan and Okinawa Prefectural government.” He did not make clear where he stood on the issue of the new base in the election campaign, and now in the city council his position is also vague. It is an incredible disgrace for the City Mayor who should be concerned with safeguarding the lives of the Nago citizens. Until when will he keep on deceiving the citizens and concealing the hidden objectives of his election campaign supporters (the LDP and NKP=Komeito) The people of Nago City already knows where he stands and who is behind him.
(In front of the Camp Schwab Gate)
Although it is mid-December, with the temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, the weather is still warm. Yesterday the temperature was as high as 27 degrees Celsius, breaking the heat record of 101 years ago in Okinawa. Obviously there is something wrong with the Earth. Counter measurements should not be pushed aside to give ways to the profits pursued by the countries with economic superpower. Japan, still depending on fossil fuels, was granted the Fossil Award twice and publicly disgraced to the world.
From 8.30 a.m. 30 people resumed the sit-in protest. It was our stage for 30 minutes before the riot police started to take us away. We sang songs, played the Sanshin, and raised our voices to chant our appeals in chorus. Ninety-year-old Mss. Fumiko Shimabukuro participates recently in the sit-in every single day. Even after we were removed and the trucks entered the gate, we continued the protest walk while shouting towards the base. Today 168 truckloads of earth and sand were delivered in three rounds.
(In front of the Ryukyu cement pier in Awa)
All 40 participants rallied at the entrance of the pier and continued with the demonstration. Seven vehicles of GOGO Drive campaign went back and forth the national highway several dozens of times and hindered the dump truck traffic. Eight Buddhist monks participated the protest carrying a banner. One of them, Mr. Shinichi Amamori said in the microphone that, “if we cooperate with the national policies and forget our remorse of plunging into the war, history will certainly repeat itself.”
On the water, 8 members of the canoe team delayed the departure of the cargo ships for one hour.
(At Shiokawa Pier in Motobu)
At 7 a.m. 10 people prevented 3 dump trucks loaded with earth and sand from entering the pier for about an hour. Due to a heavy rain, the trucks turned back without making deliveries and returned later. At around 10 a.m. 15 riot policemen arrived and removed the protestors. However, 15 protesters persistently kept on moving around and slowed the dump truck traffic. There were 218 deliveries made.
