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17,000 Japanese circle US base in peaceful protest
Thousands of Japanese linked hands and encircled a Marine Corps base in Okinawa on Sunday to protest its presence on the island, putting more pressure on Tokyo to resolve an impasse over the base's future.
About 17,000 residents surrounded the Futenma air base early in the afternoon, chanting slogans and completing a human chain twice for several minutes each time, city official Hitoshi Nakou said. The base covers about 1.9 square miles (4.92 sq. kilometers), and sits in the middle of Ginowan, a city of about 93,000.
Locals from Japan's southern Okinawa Island are growing increasingly vocal against the presence of the U.S. military. Residents have long said they must deal with constant noise created by military aircraft and increased crime from U.S. troops in the area.