Dear all,

There was a big rally of some 90,000 persons in Yomitan, Okinawa from
inside and outside of Okinawa today, including Nakaima, governor of
Okinawa and all mayors in Okinawa prefecture, who opposed relocation of
US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma within Okinawa or the country.

Participants issued a statement calling for immediate closing and
relocation of Futenma US Base outside Okinawa or the country.

The rally was a record-high participation in Okinawa expressing public
opinion against US Base. In 1995 some 85,000 got together protesting the
rape case of a schoolgirl by US servicemen.

Today on 25^th April, Okinawa was turned yellow. The organizing committee
called on all inhabitants in Okinawa to use ’yellow’ for a protest color
by wearing yellow stole, holding a yellow handkerchief in their hand or
hanging yellow cloth under eaves, for instace, in order to deliver their
will of a yellow card to the government.

Relocation of Futenma Base is a critical issue between US and Japan.
Today’s popular protest could force Japanese PM Hatotyama to reconsider
the proposed plan of offshore land reclamation planned under the 2006
Japan-US agreement or relocation in Tokunoshima, Kagoshima near Okinawa.

Recently, the voices of reconsidering the security alliance are coming
out here in Japan.

Yoko Akimoto
ATTAC Japan