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Japanese man 'sets on fire' to protest Shinzo Abe's state funeral

2022-09-21T16:33:58.716Z


A man in his 70s set himself on fire to protest Shinzo Abe's state funeral, which will take place on September 27.


What we know about the suspect in the murder of Shinzo Abe 4:14

Tokyo, Japan (CNN) --

A Japanese man in his 70s was taken to a Tokyo hospital after setting himself on fire near the prime minister's office, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.

"I heard that the police found a man who had suffered burns near the cabinet office this morning, before 7 am, and I am aware that the police are investigating," said Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, to journalists this Wednesday.

The man told police he was against plans to hold a state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later this month, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported.

Police collect evidence from security cameras and eyewitnesses, according to TV Asahi, which added that an officer who tried to put out the fire was injured and taken to hospital.

  • Crowds gather in Tokyo to bid farewell to the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Protests grow against Shinzo Abe's state funeral

Shinzo Abe was Japan's longest-serving prime minister, from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020 before resigning due to ill health.

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He died of excessive bleeding in July, at the age of 67, after being shot while making a public campaign speech.

News of his murder echoed around the world and huge crowds lined the streets of Tokyo to show their condolences.

Japan's government announced it would hold a state funeral for Abe on September 27, with the ceremony expected to cost up to $12 million due to high security and hosting costs for foreign leaders.

The millionaire sum that Shinzo Abe's funeral will cost in Japan 0:57

Opposition to this measure is growing.

Some protesters resent what they see as an exorbitant use of public funds for the event, while others point to Abe's occasionally divisive politics.

State funerals in Japan are usually reserved for members of the imperial family, although former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida was also granted this honor in 1967.

Despite his victories at the polls, Abe was no stranger to controversy.

He was embroiled in several scandals during his career and fueled controversy with his visits to the Yasukuni shrine, which bears the names of convicted war criminals and is considered by China, North and South Korea to be a symbol of the imperial military past. from Japan.

Shinzo Abe

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2022-09-21

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