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Thousands Protest Over Military Bases In Japan
Tens of thousands of people have protested against the presence of US military bases on the Japanese island of Okinawa.
Tensions have been high following the rape and killing of a local woman in which an American contractor and former US Marine is a suspect.
Many of the protesters wore black to mourn the victim after her body was found last week.
The man was arrested on May 19 on suspicion of abandoning a woman’s body, but he has not been charged with killing her.
The death sparked outrage on Okinawa, where locals have been angered by crime linked to American troops.
The demonstration called for a review of a US-Japanese security deal allowing most of the country's soldiers based in Japan to stay on the island.
There are also plans to move a Marine Corps air station to a less-populated area.
The relocation plan came after public outrage over a rape of a girl by three American servicemen in 1995.
The Governor of Okinawa, Takeshi Onaga, told the crowd at the rally in the capital, Naha, that he wanted to apologise to the woman for failing to protect her, even after what happened in 11 years ago, he said:
"We had pledged never to repeat such an incident. I couldn't change the political system to prevent that. That is my utmost regret as a politician and as governor of Okinawa."
According to reports, around 65,000 people attended the rally with many holding signs calling for the US Marines to leave.
The US military has attempted to ease the tensions and said the crime rate in its ranks is lower than in the general public.
Last month, Lt Gen Lawrence Nicholson, the commanding general of Marine Forces Japan, said:
"Please do not allow this terrible act of violence to drive a wedge between our two communities.”
“There may be issues we differ on. But we must continue to talk. Let's keep those lines of communication open."
Cover Image: Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa. Courtesy: Sonata
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