Man detained in Tokyo after throwing apparent firebombs at ruling party HQ, crashing van at PM’s office

TOKYO, Oct. 19 (Xinhua)– A man was arrested in Tokyo after throwing what appeared to be Molotov cocktails at the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headquarters and crashing a van into a security fence outside the nearby Prime Minister’s Office early Saturday, local media reported.
The man drove a van in front of the LDP headquarters in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward at around 5:50 a.m. local time and threw five or six objects resembling Molotov cocktails, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The suspect then drove about 500 meters to the Prime Minister’s Office, where he attempted to ram the vehicle into the premises but was blocked by a fence, the report said.
The man got out of the van after hitting the barrier and threw what appeared to be a smoke flare at police officers but was subdued and arrested on the spot on suspicion of obstruction of public duties, it added.
The suspect has been identified as Atsunobu Usuta, a 49-year-old from Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, and multiple plastic kerosene tanks were found inside his vehicle, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.
Police said there were no reports of injuries, but one of the firebombs hit a riot police vehicle with its front panel burned away.
A motive for the attack has yet to be determined, with the suspect remaining silent during questioning, the police said.
“We are in the midst of an election, the foundation of democracy, and I am deeply outraged by this act,” said LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama, adding that election campaign activities would continue, with the party “firmly determined not to yield to violence.”
Police are investigating the incidents, which came just over a week before the general election on Oct. 27. ■