Mar (24): The U.S. military performed drop training near the residential area, causing 97.2dB of noise.／80 citizens protested against it at four places.

Enough is enough. Okinawans cannot control their anger with the U.S. troops stationed in Okinawa who have no regard for others. The parachute training at the U.S. Kadena Air Base was forced through on Mar 21 despite the Japan and Okinawa Prefectural governments’ objection. It was the third training this year, following those in April and May. SACO agreement (1996) between Japan and the U.S. states to “relocate parachute drop training to Ie Jima Auxiliary Airfield,” which the U.S. ignored utterly.

Their arbitrary actions continued. On Mar 24, two Ospreys from the U.S. Yokota Air Base (Tokyo) to the U.S. Kadena Air Base conducted a rope drop training. It was the first rope drop training with Ospreys at the U.S. Kadena Air Base. The U.S. military, however, had not made an advance notice to Kadena Town or the Okinawa Defence Bureau (ODB) of the activity. The residents swamped the Kadena Town Office with complaints of the Ospreys’ noise and several circling flights low over the residential area. The noise recorded the maximum of 97.2dB at 11:11 am. Mayor Tooyama visited ODB, told them that it was the first of this kind, and demanded an immediate halt.

Since the beginning of this year, some incidents have proven the U.S. military in Okinawa acting out of the professional conduct rules: frequent flights low over the residences and a flight with a heavy machine gun ready for use in the residential area. I wonder if the U.S. military puts us in a conditioning experiment to acclimate us to the military bases so that we give up protesting. Risky training practices will invite disasters someday. We cannot afford to swallow our anger or give up. Giving up means for Okinawans “to be murdered.”

(In front of Camp Schwab Gate)

It often drizzled. Lifting the state of emergency in mainland Japan has activated traveling and caused resurge of covid-19 contagion in Okinawa. The U.S. military reported 19 cases of new infection yesterday, the largest number infected per day in March.

About 50 citizens staged a sit-in in front of the gate. Almost ten months have passed since the protestors began to move voluntarily from their sitting position to another place to avoid contact with the riot police. The ODB employees warned from the inside of the gate, telling the protestors through a microphone to stand up. Takazato Suzuyo-san, one of the protestors, responded, “We have no reason to be ordered by the ODB. It is you, ODB, that forces the construction. You don’t have a right to tell the citizens to move.”

A total of 101 vehicles delivered the material. No concrete mixer trucks made a delivery. Have they finished elevating the seawall?

(Ryukyu Cement Awa Pier)

About 20 members of Nanbu-Shimagurumi Kaigi (Nanbu Chapter of the Island-Wide Conference) continued the protest, divided into the pier’s entrance and exit in slight rain. Muddy water splashed every time a dump truck passed, but M-san, a protestor who came from Haibaru Town, said that it was OK because the dust did not stir up in the rain. How ironic the reality is!

We heard that captain H of the riot police, who has forced strict measures, will be transferred. Our protest and complaints submitted to the prosecutor’s office may have contributed to his transfer. Or the new prefectural police commissioner is afraid of captain H becoming his liability? A public official is likely to fire his/her staff to save his/her neck and get ahead.

A total of 621 truckloads were loaded to three carriers.

(Motobu Shiokawa Pier)

Ten members of Motobu-Cho Shimagurumi Kaigi (Motobu Chapter of the Island-Wide Conference) made a protest.

Four riot police officers repeatedly surrounded an actively rallying woman to restrain her, which lasted for some time. It required four husky riot police officers to control only one woman! Undignified for the work of riot police, isn’t it?

The workers moved a total of 705 truckloads onto five carriers.