Japan’s Prime Minister was not injured after an explosion during an election campaign event

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated Saturday unharmed after someone threw an explosive device at a campaign event in a western port city, officials said. know. Police wrestled a suspect to the ground as screaming bystanders scrambled to escape and smoke billowed.

Although no one was injured and Kishida had planned to resume campaigning on Saturday, the chaotic scene was reminiscent of the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe nine months ago, which also took place during the trip. campaigned and continued to resonate in Japanese politics. Kishida was heading to Saikazaki port in Wakayama prefecture to support his ruling party’s candidate in a local election, and the explosion happened just before he started his speech.

NHK said a young man believed to be a suspect was arrested Saturday at the scene after he allegedly threw an explosive. Television footage showed several uniformed and plainclothes police officers surrounding the man, slamming him over and roughly dragging him to the ground. The cause of the explosion is unknown, but some reports say it was a smoke bomb or a pipe bomb.

No injuries were reported in the incident that occurred on the eve of a major international forum in Japan. Kishida was uninjured and planned to continue his campaign speech late Saturday, according to a government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Abe’s assassination, which shocked a nation that prides itself on public safety and extremely tight gun control, occurred as he delivered a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. Amid a nationwide outcry, police tightened protective measures after a subsequent investigation revealed vulnerabilities in Abe’s security.

Security was also stepped up in Japan as senior diplomats from some of the world’s most powerful democracies arrived for the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting on Sunday. Kishida will host the G-7 leaders’ summit from May 19 to 21 in his hometown of Hiroshima.

A witness on Saturday told public broadcaster NHK that she was standing in the crowd when she saw something come flying from behind. After a sudden loud noise, she fled with her children. Another witness said people were screaming and he saw someone being arrested just before the explosion.

Saturday’s attack comes ahead of local elections across the country, including several by-elections for vacant parliamentary seats, with the vote scheduled for March 23. April.

During the assassination of Abe, the former prime minister was shot with a homemade gun during his campaign speech. Suspect Tetsuya Yamagami has been charged with murder and a number of other charges, including violating gun control laws.

Abe’s alleged assassin told investigators he killed Abe, one of Japan’s most influential and divisive politicians, because the former prime minister had obvious connections with a religious group he hates. In statements and in social media posts attributed to him, Yamagami said he developed a grudge because his mother donated so much to the Unification Church that his family went bankrupt. and ruined his life.

Abe’s assassination led to the resignation of top local and national police chiefs, and tightened security rules for political leaders and other celebrities.

Mr. Kishida’s government hopes this weekend will draw the world’s attention to the hot spring resort town of Karuizawa, where senior diplomats will gather on Sunday for the so-called ministry meeting. Foreign Minister of the Group of Seven.

Foreign ministers from Japan, the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and the European Union are expected to focus on concerns about Russia’s war in Ukraine, an increasingly belligerent rise China and North Korea’s provocative mass weapons tests. .