In a shocking incident that took place in Japan, a man threw several firebombs at the headquarters of the country’s ruling party in Tokyo on Saturday. Tokyo police said he crashed his car into the fence of the Prime Minister’s residence. However, there were no reports of injuries following the incident.
The man was identified by police as Atsunobu Usuda, 49. He was arrested on the spot on charges of obstructing the performance of official duties. More charges may be added later. The motive for the attack was not immediately clear.
According to Japanese media reports, there were several social media posts believed to be from Usuda that showed him complaining about the sums of money required to run for office under Japanese law. The publications suggest that Usuda had political ambitions.
Video: A man today threw several firebombs at the headquarters of Japan’s ruling party and then crashed his car into a barrier in front of the Prime Minister’s residence. The man was arrested. No injuries have been reported. pic.twitter.com/og5aSAgVqV—Jeffrey J. Hall (@mrjeffu) October 19, 2024
Media reports also cited unnamed sources who claimed that Usuda had participated in protests against nuclear plants. The attacker was not immediately available for comment.
There is growing negative sentiment towards the ruling Liberal Democratic Party among the people after a growing money scandal involving dubious financing and suspected tax evasion.
The party declined to comment on the attack and referred all queries to the police. The vote for the lower house of Parliament is scheduled for October 27. Some tarnished politicians who lost the support of the ruling party are now running as independents.
In an attempt to project a new image, the party recently elected a new leader, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. But polls show their popularity is plummeting, although it is unclear whether they will lose their majority control in the lower house in the next election, given the division of the opposition.
(With contributions from AP)
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