Over 2,500 people staged a rally in the city of Okinawa on Sunday to protest against sexual assaults on local girls and women by U.S. servicemen stationed in Okinawa Prefecture.

They adopted a resolution demanding the Japanese and U.S. governments apologize and compensate the victims, provide information promptly when such incidents occur, and revise the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which governs U.S. troops stationed in Japan.

"Sexual violence that tramples on the dignity of women and children should never occur," said Junko Iraha, chief of a local citizens' group and a member of the rally's organizing committee.