Fire aboard U.S. warship sparks large protest in Japan
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TOKYO — Thousands of Japanese on Sunday rallied against the permanent basing of a nuclear-powered U.S. warship near Tokyo, saying a recent onboard fire made it unsafe.
About 13,000 protesters gathered at a park near the port of Yokosuka, just south of the capital, where the George Washington aircraft carrier will be based, media reports and organizers said.
The George Washington, relieving the soon-to-be decommissioned Kitty Hawk, will be the Navy’s first nuclear-powered vessel to station permanently in Japan.
The ship’s arrival was originally set for August under a U.S.-Japan security deal, but was delayed because of a fire aboard the vessel in May.
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