The Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, was preparing this Saturday to give a speech before his supporters at an electoral act in the west of the country, in the port of Saikazaki in the city of Wakayama, when there was an explosion that forced them to evacuate. immediately to the president, who was unscathed, and who, according to local media, was later able to continue with his rally.
This incident took place less than a year after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which shocked the entire Asian country and led to increased security at these public events, after being shot in the back with a firearm. homemade, while also giving a speech. Kishida was here to support a local candidate for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
From Prime Minister Kishida’s attempt to make a speech to the arrest of the suspect.
A male suspect in the audience was subdued by those around him. At that time, he was holding a silver cylinder and making a hand motion like lighting a lighter. https://t.co/XBXjwiM1kY#nhk_video pic.twitter.com/YgSadznPrW
— NHK News (@nhk_news) April 15, 2023
The images recorded by the national television NHK show the leader turning back to see what had happened, while the security team detains an individual, in a moment of great confusion among all present. Seconds later, a loud detonation is heard and the place is filled with a cloud of white smoke, while the attendees try to flee the area, confused and screaming.
“Unforgivable Atrocity”
Witnesses at the scene reported having experienced moments of panic. “I ran frantically and then about ten seconds later there was a very loud noise and my child started crying. She was paralyzed, my heart still beats very fast, “said a woman shortly after, still with fear in her body. “Someone yelled ‘to the culprit!’ or ‘they dropped a bomb’ and everyone started dispersing,” a man told NHK.
Kishida was unharmed and shortly after this incident he was able to resume his campaign schedule without too many complications, with an event at a local train station. “There was a loud explosion at the site of the previous speech. The police are investigating the details, but I would like to apologize for worrying people and causing them trouble,” the prime minister himself said. «That something like this has happened in the middle of an electoral campaign that constitutes the foundation of democracy is unfortunate. It is an unforgivable atrocity,” said the ruling party’s head of electoral strategy, Hiroshi Moriyama.
This incident in Wakayama coincides with the organization in Japan of G7 ministerial summits in Sapporo and in Karuizawa, near Nagano, before the summit of leaders of this group in Hiroshima in just a few days, in the month of May.