U.S. restricts troops from leaving Okinawa base after Marine accused of murder
The arrest of the Marine has renewed protests against the heavy American military presence on the southern island and the rise in military-related crime.
A US Marine stationed on Okinawa has been arrested on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in the city of Naha and stealing her wallet. The arrest has sparked public outrage and renewed protests against the heavy American military presence on the southern island.
According to the New Straits Times, around 100 Japanese protesters rallied outside the US embassy in Tokyo, expressing their anger over the killing and other crimes committed by US military personnel. The protesters held placards and chanted slogans, including "We don't need US bases in Okinawa."
The incident has also prompted a response from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who described the killing as a "heinous crime." The US military presence on Okinawa has long been a source of controversy, with locals bearing a disproportionate burden of hosting about 70 per cent of US military facilities in Japan.
Brief written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour, New Straits Times — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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