Braving heavy rain, thousands of people staged a rally in Japan's Okinawa prefecture on Sunday calling an end to U.S. military presence in the region, Japanese media reported.
The protesters gathered in Ginowan city after a three-day peace march taken out along three routes in Okinawa, Japan's southernmost island which was a fierce battleground in the final days of World War II. Ginowan hosts the Marine Corps Futenma air station, one of the major U.S. military bases in Japan.
The rally was part of an annual event to mark Okinawa's return to Japan from U.S. control in 1972, and was aimed at drawing attention to the heavy U.S. military presence in the prefecture.
The protesters also organized marches in Nago city, where the Japanese and U.S. governments plan to relocate the Futenma air station, and before the Kadena air base, the largest U.S. base in Asia.
They adopted a declaration expressing their opposition to the buildup of U.S. military bases in Japan and demanding a comprehensive review of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, Japan's NHK broadcaster reported.
A close ally in the Asia-Pacific, Japan is home to several U.S. military bases with more than 50,000 soldiers.
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