Dec 9 (Wed): Citizen’s groups rallied to appeal to the Mayor of Nago City: Don’t permit to alter the course of the Mijagawa river. / The day for people with disabilities

Various citizens’ groups have kept mobilizing actions to stop the alteration of the Mijagawa river’s course. The alteration is needed to reclaim the Oura Bay. On Dec 2, members of Uruma City Shimagurumi Kaigi (Uruma chapter of the Island-Wide Conference) and Nagoshisei wo Kanngaeru Josei-no-Kai (the Concerned Women against Nago City Municipal Administration) visited the Nago City office and demanded Taketoyo Toguchi, the Mayor of Nago City, not to permit the alteration of the Mijagawa river course.

On Dec 9, Hiroji Yamashiro, Chairman of Okinawa Heiwa-Undo Center (Peace Okinawa Center), made a speech in front of the Camp Schwab gate, followed by a rally in front of the Nago City office, where approximately 60 people gathered. Five members of All Okinawa who serve on the Nago City Council showed up and expressed their decision to pursue this issue at the City council. Yamashiro-san and the protesters visited the City’s Waterworks Dept. and demanded them to explain the reasons for the drilling survey.

Since the mayoral election held two years ago, Mayor Toguchi has kept silent on the new base construction issue. As most people living in the city clearly expressed their opposition against the construction, the mayor has not explicitly shown his position on this issue while preparing for the next election in 2 years—a typical political stopgap measure.

Mijagawa river flows out of the Henoko dam, the source of drinking water for the residents. Altering the course of the river could be a significant risk for environmental preservation. The priority of the mayor’s work is to protect the citizens’ life. The ambiguous position is not allowed to him.

(In front of the Camp Schwab Gate)

It was raining all day. Approximately 65 people in rain gear raised their voices of protest. The riot police moved the protesters to the sidewalk. Still, the protesters kept shouting together towards the trucks: Not to get involved in the illegal construction and not to destroy the sea of dugongs, while heavy-duty vehicles splashing muddy water were going through the gate into the base. A man from Saitama, standing on the sidewalk with a sign, was impressed by the resilient protest in Okinawa.

“Despite such gloomy rain, so many Okinawans show up for the protest. Amazing! The mainland activists should learn from Okinawa,” he said while wiping his face wet by the rain.

Dec 9 is also the day for people with disabilities. Usually, several hundreds of people show up at the tent every year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only six representatives participated this year and read the declaration demanding to stop the new base construction. The appeal mentioned that the Nazis massacred 200,000 people with disabilities in Germany and claimed that it represents the eugenic policy to extinguish those useless for warfare. It also criticized the current Japanese government for following the path toward war.

A total of 218 trucks brought in construction materials.