A 53-year-old woman who was protesting the opening of the Tokyo Olympics despite a surge of Covid-19 cases in Japan was arrested after attempting to put out the Olympic torch fire with a water gun.
A 53-year-old Japanese woman took matters into her own hands by attempting to put out the Olympic torch fire with a water gun.
Openly opposing the Tokyo Olympics, the woman was caught on video shouting “No Olympics! Stop the Games!” in Japanese while squirting water at the torch runner with a toy gun.
The woman, identified as Kayoko Takahashi, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business, according to Mito Police.
The suspect was charged because she was “deliberately aiming at the runner and interfering with the relay,” said Mito deputy police chief Noriaki Nagatsuka.
“You can’t shoot water at people for no good reason,” Nagatsuka said. “She clearly wasn’t playing around. This isn’t child’s play.”
The suspect has admitted to her actions saying her motive was to protest the Olympics.
As the torch relay inches closer to Tokyo, there is a growing fear of the Olympics becoming a Covid-19 superspreader event even as officials announce safety measures and are mulling a zero-fan Olympics. (See also: Perennial threat looms; no guarantee Tokyo Olympics will be ‘coronavirus- free’ )
The Japanese government is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games as early as July 8 to make a final decision on spectators.
The woman, however, might only be the first to openly protest the Games by attacking relay runners or the Olympic torch.
A similar attempt will be unlikely as the torch has its own internal fuel source but it is expected that the officials will increase security on the runners and the Games itself.
Tokyo officials have previously announced that half of the relay would be held away from the public for Covid-19 safety.
Despite protests, preparations are being made for the Tokyo Games’ opening ceremony and the arrival of international athletes. The Olympics begin on July 23.
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