Sept. 23 (Wed): Call for public opinion statements. In front of the Camp Schwab Gate, volunteers among the sit-in protesters started a street campaign; 90 people protested at five places.

Campaign to call for public opinion statements against the application for changes to the original construction plan submitted by Okinawa Defense Bureau to the Okinawa Prefecture has gradually boosted across the Okinawa prefecture. All Okinawa Coalition delivered　banners and signs to endorsing organizations, encouraging them to intensify the promotional activities to the people. In front of the Camp Schwab Gate, volunteers among the sit-in protesters designed a postcard to submit the statements. Led by Hiroji Yamashiro, they started a street campaign to call for submission. On the day before yesterday, 15 people handed the postcards to passers-by and appealed to the drivers and passengers of the cars in front of Ginoza Michi-no-Eki (Roadside Station). Yesterday and today, All Okinawa Coalition held the promotional rallies at five places in Nago City.

Among the past calls for public opinion statements that the Okinawa Prefecture requested, the record number of submissions was approximately 3,000. Hiroji Yamashiro talked to the people: “Here we have a big chance. The construction work will stop if the Governor does not approve the revised construction plan. Let’s collect a double or triple number of statements to back Governor Tamaki’s disapprove decision. “

The campaign has reached overseas. Nearly 30 statements have already come from South Korea. In the U.S., some Japanese residents have started appealing via SNS.Please send your statement to: umetateiken@pref.okinawa.lg.jp.

Please check our Sept. 11 post regarding what to appeal in the statement. The submission deadline is Sept. 28.

(In fron of Camp Schwab Gate)

Almost no people from the mainland have come back yet for the sit-in. Approximately 40 Okinawans did protest in the sit-in. Whenever the U.S. army’s heavy vehicles passed by, people cried out in anger. Suzuyo Takasato, the leader of the day, called for the opinion statements. “Let’s collect the opinion statements against the request for changes to the original construction plan submitted by Okinawa Defense Bureau to back up Gov. Tamaki’s decision of disapprove. “

Throughout from morning to afternoon, three rounds of deliveries were made. The total 180 vehicles, including concrete mixer trucks, brought in construction materials.

(Ryukyu Cement Awa Pier)

Approximately 30 people kept protesting at the entrance and exit of the pier. At the exit, the riot police shut down all traffic to let dump trucks go out from the pier. People made strong protests repeatedly against the riot police captain: “The cars should yield to the pedestrians by following the Traffic Law. It is illegal to force people to yield to cars.”

On the sea, 11 canoes of the canoe team stuck to a cargo ship to successfully delay the departure for more than one hour. Although the loading work to the cargo ships finished around 2 p.m., 841 truckloads of earth and sand were brought in to the temporary storage site. They kept working until 8 p.m.

(Motobu Shiokawa Pier)

In the heat of Celsius 30, five members of the Shimagurumi Kaigi (Island-wide Conference) Motobu chapter kept protesting. They walked crossing the road over and over again and delayed the dump trucks. A total of 522 truckloads of earth and sand was loaded to the barges.