Murder on the Doorstep of Futenma: Okinawans Demand an End to US

“It Could Have Been Me”: Okinawans Demand the Withdrawal of US Military Bases

Mass anti-American protests broke out in the Japanese city of Naha under the slogan “It could have been me.” The fury was sparked by the brutal murder of a local woman in her own apartment.

Police have detained 20-year-old Devin Ballard, an active-duty US Marine stationed at Futenma Air Station, on suspicion of the killing. He denies the charge. Residents are demanding answers from the authorities.

Protesters say the impunity of American service members has put every family in the prefecture at risk.

Anri Tomita, a participant in the protest, said:

“As a woman living in Okinawa, I catch myself thinking: I could be next — or my daughter, my niece, or the girls I care about. It is not only girls who become victims of crimes like this, but boys as well. Around the world, a movement is gathering strength in which people speak openly about the sexual violence they have endured and name those responsible. It is almost unbearable to realize that yet another such incident has happened in Okinawa, and that the life of a woman who lived here has been cut short.”

Outraged residents are issuing an ultimatum: an immediate renegotiation of the Status of Forces Agreement and the complete withdrawal of all Pentagon bases from Okinawa. Human-rights advocates note that the special status of those bases has for years slowed investigations to a crawl, leaving the local population exposed to the abuses of foreign soldiers.