【辺野古問題取材班】米軍普天間飛行場の移設に伴う名護市辺野古への新基地建設で、反対する市民らは18日午前、10隻の抗議船と22艇のカヌーで海上パレードを実施した。海上パレードは昨年12月、埋め立て工事が再開されてから初めて。抗議船には船長を含め約80人が分かれて乗船し、海上の様子が見える名護市瀬嵩の浜では海上パレードに呼応した集会に約300人(主催者発表)が集結した。ゲート前でも工事車両を止めようと約40人が座り込み、合計で約450人が海と陸で抗議の声を上げた。
午前10時すぎ、海上の大型クレーン船が大型コンクリートブロックを投下すると、海上と陸上でシュプレヒコールが上がった。海上パレードに参加した日本共産党の山下芳生(よしき)党副委員長は、海上から集会参加者にあいさつ。「沖縄県民と全国の連帯が日米両政府を追い詰める一番の力になる。新基地建設の強行を必ず打ち破ろう」と呼び掛けた。
抗議船に乗った親盛節子さん(64)は「ブロックの投下や浮具(フロート)を見て怒りや悲しさが湧き起こった」と指摘。「諦めたら政府の思うつぼだ。『工事を止めなければいけない』とあらためて思った」と力を込めた。船上で、ブロック投下を確認した名護市の谷本大岳さん(65)は「海に飛び込んで止めたい気分だった」と悔しがった。「知事や名護市長が権限で工事を止めると同時に、現場での抗議も必要だ。市民の1人として今後も抗議の意思を示していきたい」と話した。
船長の1人で、ヘリ基地反対協議会事務局長の仲本興真さんは「多くの県民に海上作業の様子と新基地反対の意思を訴えることができた。大衆運動として盛り上がるように工夫した取り組みを今後も展開したい」と強調した。
Don’t destroy the beautiful Henoko sea : 450 people protest against construction of new US base both on sea and land
Holding placards, canoe team members protested against the new base's construction work, after concrete blocks were submerged and a boring survey was conducted, in Oura Bay, Nago, at 9:45 a.m. on February 18.February 19, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo
On the morning of February 18, in Oura Bay, Nago, citizens protesting against new base construction associated with relocation of the U.S. Futenma airfield in Ginowan to Henoko, held a parade on the water using 10 ships and 22 canoes.
The parade on Oura Bay was the first one held since construction work for landfill resumed last December.
About 80 people were onboard the ships, while on Sedake beach about 300 people held a rally to cheer on the sea parade.
In front of the gate of Camp Schwab, about 40 people held a sit-in protest to block construction vehicles.
Protesters on the boats set up banners reading “Stop submerging blocks,” “Protect the beautiful sea,” “Protest against Osprey crash,” on offshore fences installed by the Okinawa Defense Bureau, and shouted protest chants while holding placards.
The canoe team held a large banner reading “Save the Dugongs,” and called out to the participants on the beach.
At 10:00 a.m., when a large crane ship submerged large concrete blocks, the protesters both on the beach and in the ocean yelled in its direction.
Japanese Communist Party Vice Chairman Yoshiki Yamashita, who took part in the sea parade, rallied the participants: “Unity between people in Okinawa prefecture and all parts of the country will create a united force to stop the Japanese and the United States governments. Let’s prevent construction of the new base.”
Setsuko Oyamori, 64, who was on one of the protesting ships, said, “Feelings of anger and sorrow were aroused when I saw floats on the sea and work to dump concrete blocks.”
She added, “I renewed my determination to stop the construction. If we give up, we will turn out just as the government wishes.”
“I wanted to dive into the sea to stop construction,” Daigaku Tanimoto, 65, said, while boarding a ship, “The governor and the mayor should exercise their powers. At the same time, protests at the scene are important. I will show my intention to protest as a citizen.”
Koushin Nakamoto, a captain of one of the ships and chief secretary of the Helicopter Base Objection Association, said, “We could show many people our objection to the new base and convey the situation of the offshore works to them. We would like to promote the grass-roots movement and help it gain momentum.”
(English translation by T&CT)
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