----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2000 9:22 PM Subject: [STOPNATO] Japan: Thousands Rally Against U.S. Troops STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.COM [Why is it the rest of the world sees the truth about the mad Emperor Clintonius (and his catamite collaborator Antonius Blair) and his imperial legionaries, but so many of his own plebian subjects refuse to? Bread and circuses? Well, circuses aplenty - but not much bread.] Saturday, 15 July, 2000, 13:19 GMT 14:19 UK Thousands rally against US troops The demonstration was the biggest in several years By Charles Scanlon in Tokyo Thousands of people have staged a rally on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa calling for tougher measures to reduce crimes by American troops. The protest came just a week before the leaders of the G8 group of industrialised countries are due to meet on the island. It was the largest demonstration for some years against the US military presence in Okinawa. About 7,000 people gathered at a park in the central city of Ginowan to express their anger at recent crimes committed by American troops. A United States marine was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and another soldier was reported to have driven off after hitting a Japanese civilian in his car. Unfair burden The rally organisers want to publicise their cause in the run up to next week's summit meeting of the G8 leaders. The protest comes just a week before President Clinton is due to visit It is the first time a US president will have visited the island since Washington handed it back to Japanese rule in 1972. The opponents of the bases say Okinawa carries an unfair burden by playing host to more than half of the 46,000 American troops stationed in Japan. Huge demonstrations five years ago forced the Americans to agree to relocate one of the bases after three marines were convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl. They are planning to build the new marine base further north in Nago - a less-populated region which has also been chosen as the venue for the summit. Residents of Nago opposed to the base say they plan to stage protests when the world leaders arrive next week. ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb
