In a shocking incident that took place in Japan, a man threw several firebombs into the headquarters of the country’s ruling party in Tokyo on Saturday. Tokyo police said that he crashed his car into the fencing 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 can be added later. The motive for the attack was not immediately clear.
According to Japanese media reports, there were several posts on social media believed to be Usuda’s that showed him complaining about the sums of money required to run for office under Japanese law. The posts suggest that Usuda had political ambitions.
Video: a man threw several firebombs at the headquarters of Japan’s ruling party today, 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
The media reports also cited unidentified sources that claimed that Usuda had taken part in protests against nuclear plants. The attacker was not immediately available for comment.
There is a growing negative sentiment for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party among the people following a ballooning money scandal that involves dubious funding and suspected tax evasion.
The party declined to comment on the attack and referred all queries to the police. Voting for the lower house of Parliament is set for October 27. Some tarnished politicians who lost the support of the ruling party are now running as independents.
In a bid to project a new image, the party recently chose a new leader, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. But, according to polls, its popularity is plummeting, although there is a lack of clarity on whether they will lose their majority grip on the lower house in the upcoming election given the splintered opposition.
(With Inputs from AP)
