- Title: JAPAN: RYUKYU ISLANDS: STRIKERS CLASH WITH U.S. FORCES AT OKINAWA AIRBASE
- Date: 7th June 1969
- Summary: DEMONSTRATIONS OUTSIDE BASE; DEMONSTRATORS WALKING TO U.S. SCHOOL BUS-CHILDREN INSIDE MAKING FACES; TROOPS ADVANCE WITH FIXED BAYONETS AS DEMONSTRATORS PUSH CAR. M.P. WHO WAS INJURED. Initials MJS/V/PW/SS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 22nd June 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: OKINAWA AIRBASE: RYUKYU ISLANDS
- Country: Japan
- Reuters ID: LVA2SUYH5VWKT3CS4DWFRFN310D0
- Story Text: A MEMBER OF THE OKINAWA LEGISLATURE INJURED IN INCIDENTS DURING A STRIKE BY WORKERS AT A U.S. AIRBASE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF NAHA, CAPITAL OF THE RYUKYU ISLANDS, ON THURSDAY (5 JUNE).
TSUMICHIYO ASATO, CHAIRMAN OF THE OPPOSITION SOCIALIST MASSES PARTY AND AN OKINAWAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, RECEIVED SLIGHT INJURIES TO HIS LEFT HAND AND HAD HIS COAT AND SHIRT CUT IN SEVERAL PLACES WHEN HE WAS PUSHED AGAINST AN AMERICAN MILITARY POLICEMAN CARRYING A BAYONETTED CARBINE.
SOME 37,000 WORKERS ON THE U.S. BASE AT OKINAWA, INCLUDING ABOUT 20,000 MEMBERS OF THE ALL-OKINAWA MILITARY WORKERS UNION, BEGAN THE 24-HOUR STRIKE AT MIDNIGHT ON WEDNESDAY. ITS PURPOSE WAS TO DEMAND A WAGE RISE AND OPPOSE A MASS DISCHARGE OF EMPLOYEES. CLASHES OCCURRED WHEN AMERICAN MILITARY POLICE AND TROOPS, WITH FIXED BAYONETS, ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE PICKETS SET UP BY THE UNIONISTS. THE STRIKERS, ANGERED BY THE TROOPS, MENACED A BUS FULL OF SCHOOL CHILDREN FROM THE BASE, AND FURTHER CONFRONTATIONS OCCURRED AS THEY TRIED TO OVERTURN A CAR NEAR THE BASE.
THE MAJOR OKINAWAN POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE LODGED A PROTEST WITH THE U.S MILITARY IN OKINAWA OVER THE INCIDENTS. AND IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT BOTH THE AMERICAN AND THE JAPANESE SIDES SHOULD HOLD A FULL EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON MEASURES TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF SUCH TROUBLE.
OKINAWA IS ONE OF THE PLACES OVER WHICH JAPANESE RADICALS HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRATING RECENTLY FOR A WITHDRAWAL OF AMERICAN TROOPS.
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