A man was arrested in Tokyo this Saturday (19) after throwing Molotov cocktails at the headquarters of the ruling party, the Japanese press reported. The attack takes place just a few days before the general elections in the country, scheduled for the 27th.
According to public broadcaster NHK, five or six objects similar to Molotov cocktails hit a riot police vehicle, but the fire was extinguished quickly and left no injuries. The police did not confirm the information.
The man also tried to drive to the area of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s office, but was blocked by a fence, according to NHK. He was arrested on suspicion of public disturbance, police said.
“His motives are unknown, but freedom of expression must not be silenced by violence. I am outraged by this act as elections are being held that are the basis of democracy,” said Hiroshi Moriyama, general secretary of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party , according to the press.
Former defense minister, Shigeru Ishiba was sworn in as prime minister on the 1st, a position to which he was elected on his fifth attempt. The day before his inauguration, he announced that he would dissolve parliament and call early elections as a test of confidence.
Ishiba replaced Fumio Kishida, who announced his resignation amid corruption scandals and a record failure rate.
Violent crime is rare in the country, which has strict gun control laws, but recent incidents have put the country’s political stability to the test.
In 2022, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead during an election event in the city of Nara, in an attack carried out with an improvised homemade weapon.
In 2023, then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was hastily removed from a rally after what appeared to be a smoke bomb exploded in Wakayama, near the metropolis of Osaka. No one was injured, and the suspect was detained.
