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Man sets himself on fire in protest against ex-PM’s funeral — Analysis

The individual “vehemently” opposed the state funeral of Japan’s former leader Shinzo Abe, according to police

Tokyo police claim that Shinzo Abe was set on fire by a Japanese man to protest his former prime ministership.

Japan’s longest-serving premier, Abe was shot in broad daylight during a parliamentary election campaign rally. In 2020, he had been elected leader.

The incident occurred on a street near the prime minister’s office, police said. According to police, the man was in his 70s and has since been admitted with severe burns.

The Tokyo Fire Department stated that a Tokyo Police Officer was burned while trying to put out the fire. The message was written in handwritten notes that were found by police, according to the report. “As an individual, I vehemently oppose the state funeral.”

According to Kyodo News, recent polls in Japan have revealed that most people oppose the taxpayer-funded funeral of Abe. It will be held on September 27. The opposition argues that there is no legal basis and that money should be spent by the highly indebted government to pay for the funeral.

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According to Asahi Shimbun, a petition calling for the cancellation of the state funeral had more than 400,000 signatures in the first month.

The funeral will cost close to $1.8 million, with some 6,000 guests expected to attend the event in Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan arena.

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