[Onthebarricades] Peace protests, global South and East, Apr-Aug 2008 part 2 of 2

[Andy]

ON THE BARRICADES:  Global Resistance Roundup, April-August 2008
https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onthebarricades
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance/



*  PHILIPPINES:  US presence protested

*  PHILIPPINES:  Protests as Mindanao peace deal collapses

*  TAJIKISTAN:  Troops to Afghan border spark rare protest

*  PAKISTAN:  Student publicly refuses Harvard scholarship from US 
ambassador over Mehmand bombing

*  PAKISTAN:  Protest at US role in northwest at journalists' agency

*  BULGARIA:  Residents protest for compensation over arms dump explosion

*  MALAYSIA:  Protest at defence exhibition, "buy food not arms"

*  TURKEY:  Greenpeace protest US missile defence programme

*  TURKEY:  Tens of thousands protest Kurdistan war

*  MANIPUR:  Children burn toy guns in protest against regional violence

*  MANIPUR:  Naked protest over rebel abductions of children

*  CROATIA:  Protests target Bush in Zagreb

*  JAPAN:  Protest against attempts to amend pacifist constitution

*  JAPAN:  Residents march on US base to protest nuclear-powered warship

*  INDIA:  Protests against Indo-US defence treaty, nuclear deal

*  EL SALVADOR:  Peace rally

*  MACEDONIA:  Protests against NATO in Skopje

*  INDIA:  Convention opposes "war on terror"

*  PHILIPPINES, JAPAN:  Protests target US over rapes on Okinawa

*  BAHRAIN:  Sunni Muslims protest "war on terror"

*  SOMALIA:  Huge protest against US bombing

*  YEMEN:  Protest after mosque bombing

*  SOUTH KOREA:  Protests against kamikaze memorial


http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080704-146462/Activists-mark-Filipino-American-Friendship-Day-with-protest

Activists mark Filipino-American Friendship Day with protest

Associated Press
First Posted 16:43:00 07/04/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- Leftwing activists are marking Filipino-American 
Friendship Day with a protest at the US Embassy to denounce the alleged rape 
of a Filipino woman in Japan and the continuing presence of US soldiers in 
the Philippines.
In May, a prosecutor in Okinawa dismissed charges against the US soldier 
after finding insufficient evidence of violence and intimidation.
The Gabriela Women's Party issued a statement Friday deploring what it calls 
Philippine government inaction in the case and the "travesty against a 
people and a nation."
The activists also pressed for an end to agreements allowing joint military 
exercises in the country.
The Philippines holds several military exercises each year with the United 
States, its longtime ally.

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=707478&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng

Muslims, Catholics protest as deal halted in Philippines

Rebels accuse Manila of lacking capability of entering into peace pact 
Reuters
Page 7
2008-08-06 01:32 AM
Members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force gesture 
during a send-off ceremony inside a police headquarters in Taguig city, 
south of Manila, Philippines yesterday.
Reuters
Malaysia called yesterday for maintaining peace in the Philippines, as an 
order by the latter's Supreme Court that halted a deal between Manila and 
Muslim rebels failed to halt opponents' protests.
The latest setback for peace in the Philippines' volatile south came just a 
day before the agreement between Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation 
Front, the country's largest Muslim rebel group, was set to be signed in 
Kuala Lumpur after more than 10 years of stop-start talks.
The MILF insisted the agreement was still binding despite the court order 
and accused Manila of lacking the capability of entering into a peace pact.
"Our official position is that the agreement on ancestral domain has been 
signed, so it's a done deal," Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chairman for 
political affairs, told reporters by phone from his base on Mindanao island 
in the south.
Jaafar said the court decision to stop the signing ceremony was "purely an 
internal problem of the government."
"We are not bound by that order," he said. "It's an internal process in the 
government. What was committed by the government cannot be taken back."
Under the territorial agreement, an existing autonomous region for Muslims 
in the south of the largely Catholic country would be expanded and they 
would get broad political and economic powers.
Catholic politicians in the south had asked the Supreme Court to halt the 
signing, arguing they had not been consulted on the deal. They fear it will 
carve up Mindanao into Muslim enclaves.
In Mindanao some 5,000 people, mostly Catholics, in red shirts took to the 
streets in Kidapawan city in North Cotabato province yesterday to protest 
the deal despite the restraining order. "This is not a fight between the 
Muslims and the Christians," Rolando Dillera, a local official in North 
Cotabato province, told the rally.
"But, we Christians are doing what is just right and due us. We'll defend 
our communities."
The proposed deal was meant to formally re-open negotiations to end a near 
40-year conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people, displaced 2 
million, and kept the country's most resource-rich region dirt poor.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim, who held talks with his Philippine 
counterpart Alberto Romulo, called for peace in Mindanao.
"There ought not to be violence," he told reporters in Malaysia's 
administrative capital Putrajaya. Malaysia has been brokering peace talks 
between Manila and the MILF.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/B590652.htm

State troops decision sparks rare Tajik protest
20 Jun 2008 14:00:50 GMT
Source: Reuters
DUSHANBE, June 20 (Reuters) - About 200 people held a rare protest in 
eastern Tajikistan on Friday against a state decision to send more troops to 
their province to guard its border with Afghanistan.
Tajikistan, whose stability is key to Western efforts to build law and order 
in Afghanistan, has been calm since the end of a brutal civil war in the 
1990s. But Western powers worry that poverty and drug related crime could 
undermine stability.
The mountainous Gorno-Badakhshan region lies on one of the main drugs 
trafficking routes from Afghanistan to western Europe. It also borders China 
and Kyrgyzstan.
Defence Minister Sherali Khairulloyev told the Tajik Asia Plus news agency 
on Friday the government was deploying additional troops to the 
Gorno-Badakhshan region to reinforce its border with Afghanistan.
A local witness told Reuters by telephone from the regional centre Khorog 
that the decision sparked a protest in the city, adding that the 
demonstrators were against more troops in their province.
"They have been on the square since this morning, but the town is quiet and 
I can't see more military than usual," said Mirambakhsh Khudobakhsh. He said 
about 200 people were protesting on the square, but Asia Plus put the number 
at 300.
Tajik President Imomali Rakhmon has ruled the Muslim nation with an iron 
fist since 1992 and tightened the screws further after a 1997 peace accord 
with an alliance of Islamists and liberals who were defeated by his forces.
He tolerates little dissent and public shows of discontent with state 
policies are rare. About 100,000 people died in the 1992-1997 war.
The defence minister did not say how many troops the government had sent. 
"We need to strengthen the border in the region where it is virtually 
unguarded," he told Asia-Plus without elaborating. (Reporting by Roman 
Kozhevnikov; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov)

http://paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?202073

Pakistani student refuses Harvard Scholarship as protest against American 
attacks on Mehmand
Wednesday June 18, 2008 (2238 PST)

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani student, Samad Khurram vociferously refused his 
Harvard University scholarship award presented to him by the American 
Ambassador Anne W. Patterson, which simply awed her into a terrible 
confusion.
The said student refused the award, which was presented in an event held by 
a private collage at the National Art Gallery, as a protest against the 
recently carried out American attacks on Mehmand Agency.
The American Ambassador greatly regretted these attacks, terming them as a 
"terrible misunderstanding", and stoutly refuted the notion that the student 
was refusing the award, maintaining that currently there were 5400 Pakistani 
students studying in America
The entire hall resounded with thunderous clapping for the student, who was 
later on restricted by management to talk to any media member.
In her speech the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson, 
underscored the need for "people to people ties" to strengthen the 
relationship between Pakistan and the U.S. while speaking at the Annual 
Student Recognition Day of Roots College International at the National Art 
Gallery here today.
"There is a myth that American universities are hesitant to accept students 
from Pakistan," Ambassador Patterson told graduates of the Roots Schools 
system who have received private scholarships to study in the United States 
and other countries. "All together, 5,400 students from Pakistan studied at 
U.S. colleges and universities last year."
Congratulating the management of the Roots School System for "twenty years 
of outstanding service in educating young people in Pakistan," the 
Ambassador said she is impressed that Roots students have earned full 
scholarships to selective universities such as Yale, Harvard, Princeton, 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Dartmouth.
"With your educational opportunities, you are the natural future leaders in 
whatever profession you may choose," Ambassador Patterson told the students. 
She urged them to "focus not only on getting top grades but also on 
broadening your vision and finding how you can best serve society after you 
obtain your degree."
End.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=124628

IJT holds protest demo at KPC Thursday, July 17, 2008
By our correspondent

A protest demonstration against the attacks by the NATO and US forces on the 
tribal areas of Pakistan was held at the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday 
urging the government to discontinue the appeasement policy for the 
aggressors.

The protest was organised by Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) to condemn the 
continuous aggression against Pakistan and the eerie silence by the 
government. A large number of IJT activists, joined by several others from 
the general public, chanted slogans against the US and vowed to fight the US 
and European forces if government continued to play the role of a silent 
spectator.

Mohsin Akhtar, Nazim South Zone, IJT, said, "Aggression cannot be perpetual. 
We, the students, will fight against the aggressors if government fails to 
perform its paramount duty. It is a good omen that three million people from 
the tribal region have begun their war against the US and European forces 
and millions of students and other patriots will not lag behind."

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=95326

Citizens Protest over Unpaid Compensations after Chelopechene Blasts
21 July 2008, Monday

Citizens of Sofia Chepintsi district staged a protest Monday as they have 
not yet received compensations to cover damages on their houses destroyed 
after the explosions in Chelopechene military storehouses. Photo by Yuliana 
Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)
| buy photo |
Citizens of Sofia Chepintsi district staged a protest Monday as they have 
not yet received compensations to cover damages on their houses destroyed 
after the explosions in Chelopechene military storehouses some 20 days ago.

The people demanded immediate evaluation of the damages to done. They 
insisted also that the Defense Ministry should issue certificates proving 
their agriculture lands are not contaminated.

The protesters threatened they are going to block Sofia's ring-road if their 
demands are not met.

The rally came despite the fact that Chepintsi Mayor Sonya Stoyanova 
promised a total of BGN 20,000 will be allocated to the district on Monday.

The Bulgarian capital was shaken by powerful gunpowder explosions, which 
were heard and felt in the whole city after the Chelopechene military 
facility, where tons of ammo and TNT were stored, burst into flames on July 
3.

http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20080425085654831

Malaysia: 'Buy food, not arms' protest at defence exhibition
Friday, April 25 2008 @ 08:56 AM CDT
Contributed by: Admin
Views: 215
About 10 protesters made their presence felt at a defence and security 
exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, handing out brochures and sandwiches to 
reinforce their core message - spend the nation's money on food, not arms. 
An hour into their peaceful protest, however, several police personnel and a 
representative of the organisers told the group to leave the lobby of the 
Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) where the four-day event began today.

Apr 22, 2008
'Buy food, not arms' protest at defence exhibition

from Malaysiakini.com
Azreen Madzlan | Apr 21, 08 5:55pm

About 10 protesters made their presence felt at a defence and security
exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, handing out brochures and sandwiches to
reinforce their core message - spend the nation's money on food, not
arms.

An hour into their peaceful protest, however, several police personnel
and a representative of the organisers told the group to leave the
lobby of the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) where the four-day event
began today.

"It's shameful for Malaysians to do this kind of thing at a big event.
Why don't you protest to the minister of defence?" the representative
told the protesters from the 'Food Not Bombs' Kuala Lumpur chapter of
the global movement.

The group has served vegetarian food to the homeless every Sunday in
Bukit Nenas over the past seven years, as a way of protesting military
spending by the government and to help the poor.

Its volunteers began the protest at 10am in front of The Mall shopping
complex before moving to the PWTC, the venue for the 11th Defence
Service Asia Exhibition (DSA), the world's second biggest exhibition
of its kind. It is organised by DSA Exhibition and Conference Sdn Bhd.

Protester Mirdza Kamal told Malaysiakini that the group's intention
was to exercise freedom of speech and raise public awareness of the
current global food crisis.

"Some of the countries participating in this exhibition are poor and
conflict-afflicted countries. Because of the global arms trade, the
food crisis situation in these countries will get worsen," he said.

"Malaysia is also in the middle of food crisis. I believe the large
amount of money spent on militarism should be channelled towards the
increase of food production to ease the price hikes for food items."

He added that Malaysians should stand up against the arms industry and
trade, as it is the root cause of such global issues such as poverty.

Another volunteer, Yew Hun Ng, said organisers of military exhibitions
claim that such events are aimed at boosting security.

"Capitalists have been profiteering from the arms trade and war for a
very long time. This is often the backdrop to global issues (such as
poverty). People are against war, but they don't realise who are
suppliers of weapons," he said.

"Some companies can supply weapons to both sides in a conflict. They
don't care, they just want to profit from this."

He urged Malaysia to end its involvement with events that allow the
buying and selling of weapons here.

"At the moment, this country needs more attention to social issues. We
pay too much attention to defence and security which only benefit
people in the industry. I also pity the soldiers who have to go
through war."

9MP defence spending

DSA Exhibition and Conference chairperson Asmat Kamaluddin said in a
press statement that the Asia Pacific region is the second-largest
market for the defence industry.

"Global military expenditure (last year) exceeded US$1.3 trillion and
the figure according to industry estimates is expected to continue
growing in the coming years," he said.

The DSA website states that, under the 9th Malaysia Plan (2006-2010),
Malaysia plans to spend RM16.8 billion on defence (7.6% of the total
spending), of which the defence ministry allocation amounts to RM14.5
billion.

This is slightly less than what was allocated under the 8th Malaysia
Plan (2001-2005), at RM17.3 billion.

The 10th DSA in 2006, saw RM1.1 billion worth of contracts signed by
the government with local and international companies.

The biennial exhibition showcases the most comprehensive range of
cutting-edge technology for the army, navy and air force, as well as
the security and homeland enforcement agencies.

Among the 712 companies participating from 49 countries are major
defence technology producers from the US, United Kingdom, Germany and
France.

The King spent two hours at the exhibition today, accompanied by
deputy premier and defence minister Najib Abdul Razak.

More info: http://www.fnbkl.cjb.net/

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/archives.php?id=24490+rel=

Greenpeace activists in Turkey protest U.S. missile defense program

Police detained 11 Greenpeace activists Monday who were protesting the U.S. 
missile defense program by blocking the entrance to an air base where U.S. 
forces are deployed.
The environmental activists stood in front of the gates of Incirlik air 
base, near the southern city of Adana, from where American and British 
planes have patrolled a no-fly zone over northern Iraq since after the Gulf 
War ended in 1991.
Wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Stop Star Wars," the protesters 
unfurled a banner with the same message while a man representing the Angel 
of Death and wearing a U.S. flag like a cloak, looked on. Another protester 
stood in a small cage.
Paramilitary police officers detained them and barred journalists from 
filming the protest.
The protest was timed to coincide with the 56th anniversary of the atomic 
bombing of Hiroshima.
The United States plans to deploy a missile defense system capable of 
protecting the United States and its allies from attacks by so-called rogue 
states.
"The world stands to gain nothing by a nuclear arms race, which the United 
States' Star Wars program is threatening to ignite," said Melda Keskin of 
Greenpeace Mediterranean, before being taken away.
Ankara - Turkish Daily News

http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=26217

Tens of thousands of Turks protest war against Kurds
03.06.2008 13:56 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Tens of thousands of people gathered yesterday in Kadikoy 
district on Istanbul's Anatolian side demanding a peaceful solution to the 
Kurdish problem.

Many demonstrators at the gathering highlighted their demands for peace, 
while saying they do not believe that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is 
sincere in his desire to solve the problem.

The demonstration was held by the Peace Assembly, a civil society 
organization consisting of academics, journalists, trade union 
representatives, intellectuals and political parties, the Turkish Daily News 
reports.

http://www1.wsvn.com/news/articles/world/MI86367/

Children in India's northeast burn toy guns to protest violence that 
surrounds them
GAUHATI, India (AP) -- Hundreds of children from a village in India's 
insurgency-wracked northeast have burned their toy guns in a symbolic 
protest against the violence that surrounds them, activists said Thursday.
The children, all younger than 13, held their protest Wednesday, carrying 
placards reading "We hate toy guns, We love football" as they marched to the 
local high school playground to light the bonfire.
"The children happily threw their toy guns, mostly look-alikes of AK-47 and 
M-16 rifles and 9mm pistols, and clapped as they went up in flames," said 
Amarjit Yumnam, one of the local peace activists who organized the event in 
Keinou, a village in Manipur state.
Keinou is some 25 miles south of state capital of Imphal.
Villagers said the protest was a reaction to the violence in Manipur, where 
at least 17 rebel groups have been fighting for independent homelands or 
autonomy. More than 5,000 people have been killed in the fighting in the 
past 10 years.
The violence has taken a toll on villagers, with rebels often demanding 
money and threatening or killing civilians seen as loyal to the state.
The bonfire was also seen as a way to stop children from playing violent war 
games and imitating the violence in their society.
"This was an important first step to protect children from the impact of 
violence in the state," said Pradip Phanjoubam, editor of the Imphal Free 
Press, an English daily.
Nearly all of India's seven northeastern states are battling rebels, but 
Manipur is the only one that has not begun peace talks with any of the 
insurgent groups.
The militants say the national government exploits the region's rich natural 
resources while doing little for its indigenous people, most of whom are 
ethnically closer to people in nearby Myanmar and China than to the rest of 
India.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEP20080729015724&Page=P&Title=Nation&Topic=0

Naked protest by Manipur kids against rebel abductions
Tuesday July 29 2008 12:18 IST
IANS

IMPHAL: Stung by the continuing abduction of children by separatists in 
Manipur, a group of school students stripped and marched on the streets here 
to protest the rebels' drive to forcibly induct child soldiers.

The naked protest Monday by a group of nearly 20 boys between four and eight 
years of age in Imphal East reminded the locals of the naked protest by a 
group of elderly women in Imphal in 2004 to protest the custodial death of 
24-year-old girl Manorama Devi.

The children, many of them only in their underwear, carried placards that 
read, "We don't want to be separated from our mothers", "We want pens, not 
guns".

Students in large numbers, most of them in school uniforms, marched along 
with the naked protesters to express their disgust at the latest trend of 
militant groups abducting children to swell their ranks.

Security forces in Manipur have meanwhile arrested seven people said to be 
involved in the sensational kidnapping of children since May, creating panic 
in the state ravaged by insurgency with 19 active militant outfits 
operating.

"The seven arrested belong to different militant groups and they were 
involved in the kidnapping of children for recruitment in rebel groups," a 
spokesperson of the paramilitary Assam Rifles said Tuesday.

Since May 6, when the first two cases of disappearance of children came to 
light, militants have abducted up to 30 children from various parts of the 
Imphal valley, mostly from the vicinity of state capital Imphal.

Some of the rebel groups, mainly the two factions of the People's 
Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), have admitted having children in 
their ranks and claimed the kids have joined the group of their own 
volition.

The authorities in Manipur have rejected rebel claims of the children 
joining them on their own.

"The kidnapping of children by militant groups indicate they are getting 
desperate. It clearly means the rebel groups are not getting mature people 
to join their ranks," Manipur Director General of Police Y. Joykumar Singh 
said.

The action by the militants has led to widespread condemnation with women's 
organisations and parents resorting to sit-in demonstrations and other forms 
of protest across Manipur.

The state authorities have already asked parents not to let their children 
go out unaccompanied by adults.

http://see.oneworldsee.org/article/view/150806/1/3194

Protests to Greet Bush in Zagreb
Alert Magazine

04 April 2008
The Green List, Centre for Peace Studies, Zelena akcija and Documenta Centre 
will greet today U.S. President George Bush with noisy protests on Zagreb`s 
Cvjetni Trg (Floral Square), starting at 19:00 hours.

- We organize the protests because of the direct responsibility of Bush 
administration for numerous human rights violations all over the world, 
warmongering policies and start of unnecessary wars and intensified climate 
changes in the world. Our protests will get the logistic support by Fade In, 
Autonomous Cultural Centre and Food not Bombs associations, says the 
invitation of the organizers.

Before that, at 17:00 hours, the Anti-Imperialist Coalition will hold 
protests of its own at the French Revolution Square. The `Back off Bush` 
rally protests the humiliation that Croatian Government has imposed on its 
citizens with the decision to organize a gathering of its own on St. Mark 
Square, where U.S. President will give his own, as they say Urbi et Orbi 
speech. The Coalition emphasizes that Government's rally is, in fact, 
illegal, having in mind that there is a Law that prohibits all public 
gatherings and demonstrations in St. Mark Square, where all the leading 
offices of the state are located.

- We invite the public, all citizens and media to join us on the French 
Republic Square and support our rally against American and NATO's 
imperialist policies. They should bring their banners, whistles, drums and 
everything they think will make the rally as noisy as possible, so that Bush 
will not be overwhelmed by the impression of humility of the carefully 
selected posse on St. Mark, says the Coalition.

In spite of the fears expressed yesterday that, on basis of official and 
unofficial information they received from the Police Department, there was a 
danger for protests to be banned at the last possible moment, there was no 
such ban issued and the protests will take place as planned.

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2008/05/japan-activists-protest-against-calls.php

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Japan activists protest against calls for constitutional reform
Jeannie Shawl at 9:58 PM ET

[JURIST] Thousands of activists protested in Japan on Sunday in opposition 
to efforts to amend the country's pacifist constitution [text; JURIST news 
archive]. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, drafted during the 
American occupation of Japan after World War II, states:
Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the 
Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and 
the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.

(2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, 
and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. 
The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.
Organizers of the rally called the provision "a world class model for peace" 
and renounced a recent move to amend the provision to allow Japan to take a 
larger role in the global war on terror. Similar protests are planned for 
Monday and Tuesday. AP has more.

Last May, the upper house of the Japanese parliament approved legislation 
[JURIST report] establishing procedures to facilitate a national 
constitutional referendum. Under the legislation, possible constitutional 
amendments must be approved by both houses of the National Diet by a 
two-thirds vote after a three-year public consultation period on the 
proposed amendment. The change must then be approved by a majority of voters 
in a national referendum. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had 
called for constitutional reform [JURIST report], arguing that the pacifist 
constitution does not reflect changes in the country's foreign and security 
policies. Last month, a Japanese court ruled that the country's dispatch of 
air force troops in Kuwait is unconstitutional [JURIST report], but did not 
order the government to redeploy the personnel.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/japan/2008/07/20/166318/Japan%2Dresidents.htm

Japan residents protest U.S. warship plan

Reuters
Sunday, July 20, 2008

TOKYO -- More than 10,000 people marched by a U.S. navy base near Tokyo on 
Saturday, calling for the Japanese government to stop the deployment of a 
nuclear-powered warship for the first time to Japan, rally organizers said.
The protest by local residents and activists against basing the aircraft 
carrier USS George Washington in Yokosuka, 45 km (28 miles) southwest of 
Tokyo, came amid growing concerns safety after a fire on the ship in May.
"The U.S military does not disclose any information on the nuclear-powered 
aircraft carrier's structure, as well as its navigation and accident 
records," said Masahiko Goto, a lawyer who participated in the protest.
"This is the same as bringing a nuclear reactor into another country. 
Something is wrong here. The Japanese government is sacrificing the local 
residents' safety for its national interests."
The USS George Washington was originally scheduled to be deployed to 
Yokosuka in August, but its arrival is likely to be delayed due to the fire, 
which left one sailor with minor burns, Japanese media have reported. It 
will become the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be stationed in 
Japan, the only country to suffer atomic bombing at the end of World War II.
Earlier in the week, the commander of U.S. forces in Japan acknowledged 
local concerns but said those voices were a minority.
"I think that the majority of the Japanese people and the majority of the 
people where it will be home ported... are looking forward to the arrival of 
this very significant improvement in our capability to defend Japan," Lt. 
Gen. Edward Rice told reporters Tuesday.
Nearly 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan under the U.S.-Japan 
security alliance, a pillar of Tokyo diplomacy, but friction with local 
communities often occurs.
Residents were angered earlier this year in Yokosuka, where about 2,800 U.S. 
military personnel are stationed, after a sailor was arrested in April on 
suspicion of murdering and robbing a taxi driver.

http://www.mathaba.net/rss/?x=599135

Thousands continue to protest U.S. warship deployment in Japan
Posted: 2008/07/20
From: MNN

 Over 10,000 local residents rallied on Saturday in protesting against the 
deployment of a nuclear-powered U.S. warship at the U.S. navy base near 
Tokyo.

TOKYO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The protesters called for the Japanese government 
to stop the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington in 
Yokosuka, 45 km southwest of Tokyo.

The aircraft carrier was originally scheduled to be deployed to Yokosuka in 
August, but following a fire on the ship in May, its arrival may be delayed. 
It would be the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be stationed in 
Japan.

Local people are very concerned about the safety of the USS George 
Washington after the fire.

At present some 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan under the 
U.S.-Japan security alliance.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/20/stories/2008072053270300.htm

Kerala - Kozhikode

VS to address protest meet
Staff Reporter
Kozhikode: The district committee of Left Democratic Front (LDF) will take 
out a rally in the city and hold a public meeting at Muthalakkulam Grounds 
here on July 22 in protest against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) 
government's decision to sign the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal.
Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan will inaugurate the public meeting and 
State leaders of various political parties are slated to attend it, LDF 
district convener M. Kelappan and former MLA Balan Vaidyar said at a press 
meet here on Saturday.
The LDF is protesting against the 'inability' of the UPA government to check 
the soaring prices of essential commodities, the leaders said.
The UPA government had no 'sense of priority' in their 'blind enthusiasm' to 
toe the U.S. line. "The Manmohan government has only scant regard for the 
weaker sections of society who are reeling under the skyrocketing prices of 
essential commodities," they said.
Mr. Vaidyar said no one with some sense of patriotism and concern for the 
country's sovereignty can turn their back to this protest call.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/20/stories/2008072051230300.htm

Karnataka - Bellary

SUCI members protest against nuclear deal
Staff Correspondent
BELLARY: A protest was organised by the members of the district unit of the 
Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) here on Friday against the Indo-U.S. 
nuclear deal and the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.
Speaking on the occasion, K. Radhakrishna, secretary of the State unit of 
the SUCI, said the deal would be detrimental to the country.
He strongly criticised the Left parties for withdrawing support to the 
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government and sought to know why a 
decision to this effect had not been taken earlier though talks with regard 
to the deal had been going on for a long time.
In Mr. Radhakrishna's opinion, amendments to the Agricultural Produce 
Marketing Committee Act were enabling multinational companies to intervene 
in the market and purchase agricultural produce and export them, resulting 
in shortages. He called upon the people to fight against what he termed the 
pro-capitalist Government.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/12/stories/2008071257490300.htm

Karnataka - Hassan

SFI stages protest
Staff Correspondent
HASSAN: The Students Federation of India (SFI), Hassan district unit, staged 
a protest here on Friday against the 123 agreement and burnt an effigy of 
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Addressing presspersons, district unit president M.G. Pruthvi and secretary 
Ravi Sanenahalli said that despite heading a minority Government, the Prime 
Minister was going ahead with the deal with the U.S. at the cost India's 
sovereignty. "Instead of controlling price rise, Mr. Singh was putting the 
sovereignty of the country at stake," they said. They said the SFI knew that 
power generation was important, but the deal was not the only solution.
The SFI leaders said they would intensify their agitation if the Union 
Government did not change its stand.

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=385270

Maoists shutdown in Jharkhand to protest India-US nuke deal

ANI     Tuesday 22nd July, 2008
Singbhum (Jharkhand), July 22 : Maoists in Jharkhand observed a dawn to dusk 
shutdown on Tuesday against the civil nuclear deal between India and the 
United States.

The banned Maoists threatened the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) against 
supporting the ruling United Progressive Alliance in the vote of confidence 
in Parliament.

The JMM, which has five MPs in parliament, decided to support the government 
in the voting.

Scant traffic plied on the roads in the state's Singhbhum District with 
trucks stranded along the roads.

"We were told that there is a shutdown so we are not allowed to unload the 
goods and therefore we are stationed here. How long can we stand here like 
this without food?" said Shankar Chavan, a truck driver.

The locals felt that the success of the shutdown was largely due to the fear 
of the Maoists.

"People are scared. They don't go out for fear of life, if caught on the 
road, they will be killed by the rebels," said Sheru Khan, a bus agent.

The police, however, said they are equipped to deal with any untoward 
incident during the shutdown.

"We have taken all precautions. We have deployed forces in the areas where 
we anticipate Maoists will try to disrupt road and rail traffic," said 
S.N.Pradhan, Inspector General of Jharkhand Police.

Similar shutdowns have also been called in West Bengal and Orissa.

The Maoists say they are fighting for the rights of poor peasants and 
landless labourers. They operate in a large swathe of India stretching from 
the east to some southern states, mostly in the countryside, and routinely 
arrange protests, kill policemen, attack government property and target 
local politicians.

The government is facing a confidence vote on Tuesday to prove its 
parliamentary majority after its Communist allies withdrew support earlier 
this month over a controversial nuclear deal with the United States.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/12/stories/2008071259870600.htm

Karnataka

Protest against deal
KOLAR: Under the banner of Students Federation of India, scores of students 
formed a human chain at College Circle here on Friday to protest against the 
Indo-U.S. nuclear deal. The students raised slogans against Prime Minister 
Manmohan Singh for his alleged haste. The agitators burnt an effigy of Mr. 
Singh. Traffic was affected for some time owing to the protest.
- Staff Correspondent

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/22/stories/2008072256840400.htm

CPI(M) to continue protest against n-deal: Yechury
Staff Reporter
"Unethical practices by UPA Govt. to survive trust vote"

- Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

Left protest: CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury addressesing DYFI and SFI 
activists protesting against the nuclear deal at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi 
on Monday.
NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Sitaram 
Yechury on Monday said his party would continue to protest against the 
proposed Indo-US nuclear deal irrespective of the outcome of Tuesday's trust 
vote in the Lok Sabha.
Addressing a protest march on Parliament Street organised by the Students' 
Federation of India and the Democratic Youth Federation of India, Mr. 
Yechury criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for showing eagerness to 
honour his commitment to US President George Bush on the nuclear deal than 
honour his commitment to his own countrymen.
Accusing the United Progressive Alliance government of indulging in 
unethical practices to ensure its survival in the trust vote, the senior CPI 
(M) leader said the government had gone back on its assurance over the deal. 
"We will now strengthen our protests if the government still remains adamant 
about pursuing the deal after the trust vote," Mr. Yechury added.
Explaining with detailed statistics the cost of energy production, Mr. 
Yechury said instead of wasting money on buying high-cost nuclear reactors 
from foreign countries if this money was spent on the education sector, 
crores of Indian students would benefit.
Stating that he agrees with the Prime Minister that the country needs to 
generate an additional 20,000 MW of power, the CPI (M) leader said: "When 
none of our resources are scarce in the country, then what is the need for 
going nuclear?"
Exhorting youngsters to carry forward the rich legacy of the freedom 
struggle and join the anti-imperialist struggle, Mr. Yechury said: 
"Fifty-four per cent of our population is young and it is on their shoulders 
that the future of our country rests."

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=379488

Dalit, progressive groups plan protest against n-deal

IANS     Monday 7th July, 2008
Dalit and backward class intellectuals and political activists in 
Maharashtra have come together to oppose the India-US nuclear deal and are 
planning to organise nationwide protest demonstrations against it.

Feroze Mithiborwala, national vice-president of the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh 
(RSP), a party espousing the backward community cause in Maharahstra, 
Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and other states, 
said that Dalit parties like Republican Party of India (RPI - Prakash 
Ambedkar faction) and Left groups like Communist Party of 
India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) have already given their support.

'We are going to Delhi tomorrow and will hold meetings with Left parties so 
as to form a common platform for opposing this deal,' Mithiborwala told 
mediapersons here Monday.

'We feel that India is playing straight into the hands of US corporate 
forces. We are not against nuclear energy per se but we certainly are 
against the 123 agreement and the Hyde Act which we feel can jeopardize our 
sovereignty.'

Elaborating on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's argument 
that nuclear power fill in the energy vacuum against the backdrop of rising 
oil prices, Mithiborwala said: 'The world over, the use of oil for power 
generation comes to a mere four percent. Even if the statement doled out by 
UPA is taken at face value, why is it that UPA is not going ahead with the 
India-Pakistan-Iran pipeline project? This project will not only bring down 
fuel price drastically in the Indian subcontinent but will also help in 
improving relationships with neighbouring countries.'

RSP (advisory committee member) Kishor Jagtap said that through the proposed 
front, 'we intend to bring all Dalits, other backward classes (OBCs) and 
other deprived and marginalized communities together on one platform and 
make them aware of the perils of India-US nuclear deal.

'Majority of Dalit and backward class political parties have become 
reservation-centric parties. We intend to broaden this perspective. Prakash 
Ambedkar whose RPI faction is a force to reckon with in Maharashtra has 
already extended his support to our plans to hold protest demonstrations and 
picketing.'

http://aaron-ortiz.blogspot.com/2008/05/peace-rally-in-san-pedro-sula.html

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Peace Rally in San Pedro Sula
This is a peace rally in San Pedro Sula, which impressed me in it's numbers. 
I'm not sure when it occurred. The song is by a Guillermo Anderson, who I 
know because his wife, Lastenia was my math teacher in High School. I only 
wish the rally wasn't so overtly Catholic...about 40% of the population in 
the cities is now evangelical, myself included.

http://see.oneworldsee.org/article/view/150782/1/3193

Anti-NATO Protests in Skopje
Dnevnik MK

28 March 2008
The Against NATO! Against Macedonia in NATO! peace initiative organizes a 
protest rally against Macedonian membership in the North-Atlantic Alliance, 
on Saturday, March 29, at 13:00 hours.

The protests will start in front of the Army Club, and will continue with a 
protest walk to the Macedonia Square, where the activists of the initaitive 
will distribute pamphlets with arguments why Macedonia doesn`t need NATO 
membership.

The Initiative believes that the information on the character and mandate of 
NATO offered to the Macedonian public is one-sided and biased, and that the 
decision to join NATO was reached without proper public debate on advantages 
and disadvantages of that move.

- The protests will mean a voice against decision-making restricted to 
closed Government circles, says the organizers.

http://see.oneworldsee.org/article/view/150799/1/3193

Protests in Skopje: No Full Social Consensus on NATO in Macedonia
Dejan Georgievski

03 April 2008
About fifty activists of the informal initiative Against Macedonia in NATO! 
protested yesterday, April 2, on the eve of the NATO Summit in Bucharest, 
the eventual Macedonian membership in NATO, in front of the Government 
Building in Skopje.

Protesters in front of Government Building (Photo: Dejan Georgievski)
The activists believe that, although few in number, the protests are 
necessary to show that there is no such total social consensus on NATO 
membership in the country as claimed by the political leadership and the 
mainstream media.

They also believe it is not too late to open a true public debate and to 
call for a referendum on the potential membership, convinced that such a 
public debate would make it clear that not all citizens of Macedonia promote 
the values of militarism, imperialism and neo-colonisation.

In a declaration they distributed to the citizens, they dispute a number of 
claims, they call them `lies` regarding the NATO membership, such as the 
accelerated membership in EU, reduced sovereignty and greater gap between 
the ruling class and the ruled in the country, and the possibility for the 
membership to actually undermine Macedonian security.

The initiative also disputes the claims that the membership will bring 
economic benefits and higher standards of living to the citizens, noting 
that it may be true of the stock exchange traders and those who believe that 
foreign investments and profits earned by multinational corporations will 
truly improve their lives.

Zdravko Savevski, activist of Against Macedonia in NATO! says that the funds 
that all citizens pay through their taxes should be directed, instead of the 
military and defense, to the deteriorating healthcare and education in the 
country and towards upgraded infrastructure.

On the behalf of the initiative, he demanded that, should Macedonia not get 
the invitation to join NATO (and the latest news from Bucharest, by the time 
of the writing of this article, say that there will be no such invitation) 
the Government should recall all its soldiers currently serving in missions 
in Afghanistan and Iraq.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/21/stories/2008052156840500.htm

Call to protest against 'war on terror'
Staff Reporter
Kozhikode: A convention organised by a group of social activists here on 
Tuesday appealed to all those who believe in democracy to "raise their 
voices and resist all kinds of terror unleashed by the State and Central 
governments."
The convention saw the meeting of Maoists forces and the National 
Development Front (NDF). Inaugurating the convention, K.S. Madhusoodanan, 
advocate and human rights activist, said that the NDF and the Maoists could 
unite to fight against the common enemy putting aside differences in their 
ideologies.
The organisers believe that the "war on terror" by the Central and State 
governments is only a pretext to crush Maoists and Muslims. However, 
representatives of prominent Muslim organisations were conspicuous by their 
absence.
The former Supreme Court Judge V.R. Krishna Iyer, a patron of the reception 
committee of the function, said in his message read out at the convention 
that jailing of Naxalites and Maoists reminded him of the fact that history 
repeated itself.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/07/asia/AS-GEN-Philippines-Womens-Day.php

Filipino, Japanese activists protest alleged rapes by U.S. servicemen in 
Okinawa

The Associated Press
Published: March 7, 2008

MANILA, Philippines: Filipino and Japanese activists marked International 
Women's Day a day early by marching to the U.S. Embassy in Manila to demand 
the prosecution of American servicemen accused of raping a Japanese girl and 
a Filipino woman in Okinawa.
About 100 members of the Unity of Women group and four Japanese activists 
protested the U.S. military presence in their countries Friday, saying 
American troops pose a threat to women and children.
"Abuse of women and children abounds where U.S. military personnel are 
stationed - this is true in Japan and Korea as well as Mindanao," said group 
spokeswoman Virginia Suarez Pinlac, referring to the southern Philippine 
region where U.S. counterterrorism troops arm and train Filipino soldiers 
battling al-Qaida-linked militants.
Japanese activist Susumu Omori, a member of the Santama Peace Cycle group, 
said it was angered by the alleged rapes in Okinawa.
"The criminals should be punished by Philippine law and Japanese law," he 
said. The U.S. courts-martial protect their own soldiers, evading the 
judgments of the Philippine or Japanese courts, he added.
Riot police blocked the protesters' march about two blocks from the embassy.
Last month, American and Japanese officials said a U.S. serviceman was under 
investigation for the alleged sexual assault of a Filipino woman on the 
southern island of Okinawa, where a U.S. Marine also was arrested on 
suspicion of raping a 14-year-old Japanese girl.
The Japanese girl later withdrew her complaint against the Marine, and 
Okinawa police released him into U.S. custody last week.
The Filipino woman's case was still being investigated, officials said.
The cases added to a string of accusations that have fueled anger over the 
heavy U.S. military presence in Okinawa. About 50,000 U.S. troops are based 
in Japan under a security pact between the two countries. Many Japanese 
complain of crime, pollution and noise associated with the bases.
In 2006 a U.S. Marine was convicted of raping a Filipino woman near Manila. 
He has been detained at the U.S. Embassy instead of a local jail, triggering 
protests by left-wing activists.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010799143

Bahrain Official Slams Protesters Bearing Bin Laden Images
ShareThis
April 29, 2008 6:31 p.m. EST
Sandeep Singh Grewal - AHN Middle East Correspondent
Manama, Bahrain (AHN) - A hardline Sunni political group in Bahrain, the 
National Adala Movement, has been criticized for carrying pictures of 
al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden during a protest on Saturday.
Brigadier Tariq Bin Daina, deputy chief of Public Security and Forensic 
Science at the Ministry of Interior, said on Tuesday that protesters who 
carried pictures of the terror group's leader violated free speech laws.
The Adala Movement organized a peaceful protest condemning Bahrain's 
decision to open an embassy in Iraq. "We hold the Bahrain authorities 
responsible if our envoy is injured in Baghdad," National Adala Movement 
Secretary-General Abdulla Hashim told AHN in Manama.
Adala protesters chanted slogans as they placed an effigy of a U.S. soldier 
on a coffin while some wore T-shirts and carried placards depicting bin 
Laden. Pictures of the the burning World Trade Center's twin towers in New 
York was also carried by some participants.
The protest was peaceful and no one was arrested.
Bin Daina said in a statement that the world considers al-Qaeda an 
international terror organization and the action by the protesters 
contradicted Bahrain's effort to combat global terror.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20080509&articleId=8901

Somalian Protest over US Bombing

Global Research, May 5, 2008
GRANMA

A huge protest took place on Sunday in the Somali  capital of Mogadishu to 
protest the US aerial bombing that killed 25 civilians last week.
An AP report quoted 13-year-old Nur Ahmed Nur: "The US attack killed by 
brother, my sister and my grandmother. We are refugees and we fled from 
Mogadishu. "Since when did we become terrorists?"
The demonstrators, mostly women and children, took to the streets of the 
central Somali town of Dusamareeb shouting slogans such as "Down with the 
Bush administration" and "Down with their stooges." Abdi-risaq Molim Ahmed, 
head of education for the town, said that three students died and a fourth 
was seriously wounded in the US attack against the home of Aden Hashi Ayro. 
He added that the students were between the ages of 13 and 19.

http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-05/2008-05-04-voa11.cfm?CFID=23128775&CFTOKEN=87830584

Central Somali Town Residents Protest US Airstrike
By VOA News
04 May 2008

More than a thousand people demonstrated in central Somalia Sunday against 
the U.S. airstrike that killed the alleged head of al-Qaida in the country 
and at least 11 other people.

The protest took place in the town of Dusamareb, where the U.S. attack 
killed Aden Hashi Ayro on Thursday.
Ayro was a leader of the Islamist militant group al-Shabab, and was believed 
to have trained with al-Qaida in Afghanistan in the 1990s.
In the Somali capital, Mogadishu, witnesses say three Ethiopian soldiers 
have been killed in a clash with Islamist fighters.
Witnesses say say the sides exchanged gunfire Sunday after the insurgents 
launched an attack.
Ethiopian troops backing Somalia's interim government come under frequent 
assault from the Islamists, who receive support from Ethiopia's rival 
Eritrea.
In an unrelated incident, fighting between clans in western Somalia has 
killed at least 10 people and injured others.
Residents in the town of Luq say the fighting broke out late Saturday and 
was sparked by a dispute over land.
Clan disputes and the Islamist insurgency have complicated the government's 
effort to stabilize the Horn of Africa country. Somalia has not had an 
effective central government in 17 years.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L03560809.htm

Yemenis protest mosque bomb as northern truce falters
03 May 2008 14:02:53 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Mohammed Sudam
SANAA, May 3 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Yemenis demonstrated in the northern 
city of Saada on Saturday in a outpouring of anger after a bombing killed 15 
people outside a mosque and threatened to drag the volatile region into a 
renewed bout of violence.
Yemen has witnessed attacks by different groups targeting everything from 
tourists to government offices in recent years, but attacks on mosques were 
virtually unheard of until Friday.
Among the dead were a woman and two children, though the attack appeared to 
target officials and army officers known to frequent the Bin Salman Mosque, 
a security source said.
A security source said several suspects had been detained at a checkpoint in 
Saada and investigations suggested that rebels led by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, 
a member of the Zaydi sect of Shi'ite Islam, were behind the attack.
Houthi denies the charge but fighting has raged on and off in Saada since a 
conflict broke out in 2004 between government forces and the rebels he 
leads.
A Qatari-brokered truce ended six months of intense fighting in June but 
violence has increased in recent weeks as disagreements over the release of 
prisoners and handover of arms threat to undermine the deal.
Friday's bomb, which was hidden in a motorcycle outside the door of the Bin 
Salman Mosque and detonated as worshippers left, came as a Qatari delegation 
was meeting officials in Yemen to try to prevent a total collapse of the 
ceasefire.
"These crimes and violations are virtually daily and their perpetrators, the 
insurgent elements, have not implemented any terms of the agreement to end 
the strife of the insurgency but have refused to hand in their arms or come 
down from their positions in the mountains," the governor of Saada, Motahhar 
Rashad, told Yemen's Saba news agency.
The ceasefire agreement committed Yemen to reconstruct rebel areas and 
required rebels to give up their heavy weapons.
Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands have fled their homes in 
Saada since the conflict began. Seven Yemeni troops were killed on Tuesday 
in an ambush by the rebels and two were wounded on Friday in renewed 
clashes.
Gunmen killed Yemeni lawmaker Saleh al-Hindi last month who was known to 
support government efforts to subdue the rebels.
Sunni Muslims form a majority of Yemen's 19 million population, while most 
of the rest are Zaydis.
Yemeni officials say the rebels want to return to a form of clerical rule 
prevalent in the country until the 1960s. The rebels say they are defending 
their villages against what they call government aggression.
One of the poorest countries outside Africa, Yemen is struggling with 
several conflicts on top of its economic ills.
As well as fighting the Houthi revolt, the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden 
has cooperated with the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on 
U.S. cities.
In the south, anger over perceived northern depredations exploded into riots 
this year that threatened to weaken the 1990 accord that united 
traditionalist north Yemen with the Marxist south. (Writing by Lin Noueihed; 
Editing by Dominic Evans)

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080512a7.html

Monday, May 12, 2008

Protests stop kamikaze ceremony in South Korea
Compiled from Kyodo, AP
SACHEON, South Korea - A ceremony to unveil a stone memorial dedicated to 
Korean pilots who flew kamikaze missions for Japan during World War II was 
canceled Saturday in Sacheon due to strong opposition from residents, city 
officials said.

Waving the flag: A rally is held against a ceremony planned for Saturday in 
Sacheon, South Korea, to unveil a memorial dedicated to Korean pilots who 
flew kamikaze missions for Japan during World War II. KYODO PHOTO

In an unprecedented move to honor Koreans who died for Japan - who have been 
viewed as traitors at home - the city of Sacheon, the hometown of one Korean 
kamikaze, has built a 4.6-meter-tall stone memorial.
The unveiling ceremony was scheduled for Saturday, but in the week leading 
up to the event residents and activists escalated their protests, forcing 
the city to cancel, an official said, adding that the city will keep the 
memorial somewhere.
"There were strong protests as to why we need to build a memorial for those 
who died as Japanese," the official said. "The event was to build mutual 
friendship and trust between the two countries, but it was difficult to get 
people's support."
The Korean Peninsula was a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945.
One of the protesters said he could never accept a memorial for Koreans who 
cooperated with Japan during the colonial era.
Japanese actress Fukumi Kuroda was to unveil the stone memorial and some 40 
Japanese tourists were to attend the event.
"It's regrettable that it's been canceled," Kuroda said.