LDP HQ hit by firebombs; suspect refuses to answer questions

A man in his late 40s was taken into police custody after throwing several crude firebombs at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo and using his car to run over the protective barrier installed in front of the prime minister’s office.

There were no reports of injuries arising from the incident which occurred at around 6am on October 19.

The suspect was identified as Atsunobu Usuta, 49, from Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo. He was arrested on suspicion of interfering with the duties of public officials after he also threw a flare at police officers on duty near the prime minister’s office.

Dyougive a campaign speech in Satsuma-Sendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, on October 19, Prime MInister Shigeru Ishiba he said, “We believe that democracy should absolutely never bow to an act of violenceonce like this.”

According to investigative sources, Usuta threw several Molotov cocktails in the direction of the LDP offices in the Chiyoda neighborhood.

There was an unconfirmed report that a motor vehicle caught fire.

He left and tried to break through the blockade outside the prime minister’s office.

Usuta refused to answer police questions, sources said.

Several plastic containers were found in his abandoned car.

Around 10 police and fire vehicles converged on the LDP headquarters following the firebomb incident.

A 65-year-old man who lives nearby said sirens sounded around 6am.

LDP General Secretary Hiroshi Moriyama issued a statement expressing “strong anger” over the incident that occurred during the Lower House election campaign.

Moriyama promised that nothing would be allowed to disrupt the democratic process, adding that he had issued instructions to law enforcement authorities across the country to fully implement security measures, especially during campaign speeches in public places.