Arab News Japan
TOKYO: A demonstration was held in Yokosuka on Friday against the American nuclear aircraft carrier “George Washington,” which was officially deployed to the 7th Fleet in August.
The George Washington returned to the US Navy base in Yokosuka on Friday after participating in the large-scale Japan-US-ROK joint exercise “Freedom Edge” and other regional defense exercises.
The demonstrators claimed: “The US-Japan rulers are trying to invade China again, using the whole of Japan, including Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, as a base. Japan is the ‘key’ to this and Yokosuka is the ‘key of the key.’ The power to stop this invasion lies in the anti-war and anti-base struggle in Yokosuka. Let’s rise up to fight against war and nuclear war from the workplace!”
The demonstrators claim the purpose of the military exercises involving the 7th Fleet is to invade China. They say the US and its allies are preparing for the outbreak of war in 2027.
They shouted slogans such as: “Make Yokosuka the key to stop the invasion of China”; “Let’s dispute the Japan-US security system”; and “Remove the base”.
Japan was used as a military and logistics base for the US military during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Since 1973, Yokosuka has been the home port of the US 7th Fleet. The US 7th Fleet consists of over 50 ships.