Japan: Scuffles break out bewteen police and anti-US abse protesters at Camp Schwab

Scuffles broke out between police and protesters that continued to rally outside of the US Marine base ‘Camp Schwab' in northeastern Okinawa, Tuesday. Kicking off on Friday to mark the 43rd anniversary of Okinawa’s reversion to Japanese sovereignty, the protests continued throughout the weekend and reached peak numbers on Sunday. Many residents resent the fact their small island on Japan's southernmost prefecture plays host to an estimated 26,000 US troops, with plans to relocate a US military airbase in Futenma to the island’s north-east Henoko. The relocation of the airbase has been met with fierce opposition since the project’s plans were drawn up in 1996, with the current mayor of Nago city Susumu Inamine vocally against the Henoko relocation plan. Okinawa's present governor Takeshi Onaga has also vowed to put a stop to the project.