A petition to President Joe Biden was read aloud in English and Japanese at the White House and at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, August 21, 2021, by David Swanson and Hideko Otake. The petition and videos from Washington are here. Sign the Petition. The text of the petition is as follows: To: U.S. President Joe Biden We, the undersigned, wish to convey our strong support for the Governor of Okinawa, Denny Tamaki, and the indigenous people of Okinawa, and their request for the cessation of the building of a U.S. military airbase in Henoko. On January 13th 2021, Governor Tamaki sent a letter to President Biden (enclosed) outlining the many reasons the airbase construction project at Henoko should be dismantled, including: Overwhelming opposition by the Indigenous Okinawan people. In a prefectural referendum, 71.7% voted against the project. There have been continuous protests and even hunger strikes by the public. MORE |