The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a controversial memorial to so-called comfort women -- a name often used to describe the estimated 200,000 women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese during World War II.
The resolution, written by Supervisor Eric Mar, calls for a memorial to be built and urges Japan to "fully acknowledge and apologize" for enslaving women. The resolution also calls for Japan to compensate the women who are still alive.
A huge crowd of people both for and against the resolution jammed into San Francisco City Hall on Tuesday.
Supporters said the memorial will draw attention to a human rights atrocity. Opponents said the resolution unfairly singles out Japan's wartime wrongdoing and fuels anti-Japanese sentiment.
