In moments of terror and panic, several guards hysterically attacked the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, after hearing an explosion followed by smoke, for fear of his assassination.
Kishida was about to deliver a speech today, Saturday, to a crowd in a port in Wakayama Prefecture (west of the country) in order to support the ruling party’s candidate in the upcoming House of Representatives by-elections, when he heard a loud bang, which was likely to be a bomb.
However, the guards who rushed to protect the prime minister were able to evacuate him safely and arrest a person at the scene, according to local media.
Hiroshi Moriyama, head of election strategy for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said, “Such thing happening in the middle of an election campaign is regrettable, rather an unforgivable atrocity.”
Abby’s memory!
While that incident brought to mind the bitter memory of the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was killed by live bullets on July 8, 2022, while delivering his campaign speech near Yamato-Saidaji Station in Nara, located in Nara Prefecture, also in the west of the country.
After being targeted by his killer, Tetsuya Yamagami, for his prayers at the Unification Church.
The incident sparked controversy at the time about the protection of politicians in the country, especially since Abe was not surrounded by enough guards at the time.
This prompted the country to enhance security around politicians and review its plans in this field.