During a campaign speech by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Chiba Prefecture, police officers discovered that a man outside the designated audience area was carrying pepper spray and a self-defense weapon. According to law enforcement sources on July 5th, the items appeared to be for self-defense, and there was no indication that the man intended to harm the Prime Minister. As a result, the man was not arrested at the scene but was questioned voluntarily.
Following the 2022 shooting incident involving former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, police authorities have increased security measures during election periods. This includes setting up designated “audience areas” near the protected person, with event organizers conducting bag and metal detector checks at entrance points. These checks were conducted for 99% of the audience during the House of Councillors election. Additionally, security has been heightened outside the immediate audience areas with numerous police officers on alert during the election period.
by MagazineKey4532