More than 27,000 people linked hands under the bright skies of Japan's Okinawa island yesterday in protest against US forces there. They formed a human chain stretching 17 km around the largest US air base in Asia, where recent crimes by service personnel have sparked increased opposition to their presence.
The protest took place as President Clinton arrived for the G8 summit, which residents hope can throw a spotlight on festering local resentment.
The initially festive atmosphere in the human ring - just an arm's length from the fence surrounding Kadena Air Force Base - turned solemn minutes after it was announced the chain had been formed.
"Fifty-five years ago Okinawa was the only place in Japan to suffer a land battle," said organiser Mr Seishu Sakaihara, referring to the 200,000 killed during the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, the single most bloody episode of the Pacific War.
"In all of Japan we have the greatest experience of suffering in this way. So we don't want this tragic history to repeat," he said. "If we permit the bases to stay we are allowing war."