Okinawa Protests: Who Are These People?


Thousands of people, protesting peacefully in Okinawa. Who are they?

These are not violent men and women, yet they are extremely powerful in Japan. Yukio Hatoyama seems to be trying to reach out to them. Welcome to the prefecture of Okinawa.

The good people here are so fed up with the military bases. Be they American or whatever, 65 years after the end of WW2, this amazing popular movement today reminds me of what happened in Poland and Hungary and then in Berlin, that amazing fall, November 1989. More than 20 years later, the Cold War may be about to end in the Pacific.

Global Post: On Location Battleground Okinawa

Seems to me that the women are taking the lead this time. Do watch the video on Global Post by Sonia Narang. 7 minutes, well, what can I say. Turn off your TV and meet some amazing people, thanks to the Internet.

Ten Thousand Things has more.

Update: PBS broadcast "Battleground Okinawa" on "News Hour," its daily news program, and posted the video with a transcript at its website.

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