GINOWAN, Japan, May 16 (UPI) -- Some 17,000 protesters formed a human chain around a U.S. Marine Corps air station in Ginowan, Japan, Sunday in opposition to plans to relocate its heliport.

Japan and the United States in 2006 agreed to move heliport functions from the Futenma Air Station to nearby Nago, which is also in the Okinawa Prefecture.

That plan calls for building a pile-supported runway over coastal waters near Nago and moving some military functions to Tokunoshima Island.

The mayors of Ginowan and Nago took part in the demonstration, which was the fifth human chain formed around the base, Kyodo News reported.

A separate protest of the relocation plan on April 25 drew 90,000 participants.

Protesters want early return of the Futenma base to Japanese control and oppose its relocation plans.

"We made it clear to people in and out of Japan that the people of the prefecture are against the government's attempt to change its stance and promote a relocation within the prefecture," said Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha.

"We want the government to stick to its (previous) stance of relocating (the Futenma base) at least outside of the prefecture and negotiate with the United States," he said.


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