Early morning tremors in Nagata-cho! Molotov cocktails at the LDP headquarters and a vehicle assault in front of the Prime Minister’s official residence… “Spectacular scene of the attack” photos. | FRIDAY DIGITAL

Early morning tremors in Nagata-cho! Molotov cocktails at the LDP headquarters and a vehicle assault in front of the Prime Minister’s official residence… “Spectacular scene of the attack” photos.

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A tremor hits Nagatacho in the midst of the House of Representatives election.
Tense shots of the scene of the attack

The entrance to the Prime Minister’s Office was completely blocked by riot police vehicles.

On October 19, a tremor shook Nagatacho in the early morning around 6:00 a.m. The LDP headquarters was attacked by a number of Molotov cocktails. A surprising incident occurred when riot police threw several Molotov cocktails at the LDP headquarters and then attempted to storm the prime minister’s residence in a vehicle.

Moreover, the incident took place in the midst of the House of Representatives election. It was the first nationwide general election since the shooting of former Prime Minister Abe, and the incident took place at a time when vigilance was greatly enhanced.

A 49-year-old man was arrested. He has remained silent in response to investigations by the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The suspect is said to be a left-wing activist who has been involved in anti-nuclear power and other activities for many years.

When the author arrived at the scene at around 9:00 a.m., forensic activities were continuing in front of the Prime Minister’s Office and the LDP headquarters. In parallel with the forensic activities by the Criminal Investigation Department’s Forensics Division, the Public Security Mobile Investigation Unit, also known as the “Kouki Sousa” (Public Safety Mobile Investigation Unit) of the Public Security Department was also on the scene, conducting forensic activities.

This unit, which is not very familiar to many, is the successor to the unit created during the heyday of extremism in the 1970s, and is a specialized unit that attends the scene of explosives and NBC terrorist attacks to conduct its own investigative activities.

The light wagon used by the arrested suspect had speakers mounted on the roof for street advertising, large LED lights on either side of the roof rack, and black license plates for a light truck.

Inside the vehicle, about 20 polyethylene tanks containing gasoline and other large containers with ducts connected to them sat near the rear hatch, giving the interior and exterior an eerie appearance.

Fresh scorch marks on the road surface. ……

A forensic operation was underway in front of the LDP headquarters, and the riot police vehicle that was hit by the Molotov cocktail had its front section damaged

Just before the suspect threw a Molotov cocktail in front of the LDP headquarters, he was spraying liquid with a high-pressure washer at a police officer on alert. If the contents of the large container connected to the duct were also gasoline, it could have been a homemade flamethrower, and if it had ignited, the police officer could have been set on fire.

The situation could have been as horrific as the Shibuya riots in 1971, in which police officers were beaten with iron pipes by leftist activists, doused with gasoline, and killed in the line of duty by throwing Molotov cocktails.

The police vehicle damaged by the Molotov cocktails was still in place in front of the LDP headquarters, but the front bumper was missing, the hood was heavily dented, and the license plate was charred black.

The barricade that had prevented the police from entering the Prime Minister’s Office had been pushed to the front gate of the Office. Originally, this barricade was set up near the pedestrian crossing in front of the PM residence. It was pushed several meters toward the main gate of the Prime Minister’s Office, indicating that they entered at a considerable speed.

The interior of the car ignited after the rush, but if gasoline in a polyethylene tank had ignited, the damage would have been horrendous.

At about 12:00, a Metropolitan Police Department truck arrived on the scene to retrieve the suspect vehicle and other items. After the vehicles were placed on the truck, they were covered with blue sheets and left the scene.

After the site inspection, the road surface in front of the main gate of the Prime Minister’s Office was badly stained with the remains of fire extinguishers, etc., but officials from the Prime Minister’s Office used a high-pressure washer to clean the road surface, and it was restored to its original condition within a few hours. In addition, seven fire extinguishers used to put out the fire were placed near the main gate, indicating that the firefighters worked hard to extinguish the fire.

The police are focusing their efforts on countermeasures against “lone offenders,” acts of terrorism committed by a lone offender. In today’s world, people can be involved in terrorist acts at any time and any place. Terrorist acts by leftist activists who can only resort to violence and vandalism should be condemned.

The road leading to the LDP headquarters was blocked off and overflowing with police vehicles and officers.
Suspect’s vehicle. The rear of the vehicle was equipped with an ominously large container connected to a duct.
Around midnight, the suspect’s vehicle was being removed from the premises.
Seven used fire extinguishers were still in place near the main gate of the Prime Minister’s Office.
The road surface at the main gate of the Prime Minister’s Office had marks and scorch marks from the fire extinguishers. Officials from the Prime Minister’s Office were cleaning the area with a high-pressure cleaner.
In front of the LDP headquarters in the middle of the Lower House election, forensic work continued for a long time in front of a poster of Prime Minister Ishiba.
After the on-site inspection, new riot police vehicles were deployed in addition to barricades to prevent a raid.
Suspect being sent to the police station (PHOTO: Shinji Hasuo)
  • Reporting, writing, and photography Takuma Arimura Photography Shinji Hasuo (sent to prosecutors)

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