Middle-aged Woman Seized By Japanese Police For Shooting Tokyo Olympics Torch

JAKARTA - Japanese authorities arrested a woman who tried to extinguish the flames of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch by firing a water gun, during the Olympic torch relay last weekend.

Citing Global News Tuesday, July 6, the 'shooting' occurred during the Olympic torch relay across Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, Sunday, July 4, authorities said.

Footage taken of the incident circulating on social media showed an 'armed' woman standing with a crowd of spectators as runners carrying the Olympic torch passed.

The woman is suddenly seen pulling a pistol-style water gun and opening fire, spraying water at the torch-bearing runner. Her water gun failed to extinguish the flames of the torch, which had its own internal fuel source.

"No Olympics! Stop the game!" shouted the woman in Japanese, before being arrested by the Japanese security forces who participated in the relay.

Meanwhile, the 77-year-old male runner was carrying the torch to the finish line for that day's relay. There were no delays as a result of the incident, Japan's Mainichi newspaper reported. And, no injuries have been reported to date.

Later, the woman identified as Kayoko Takahashi (53) was immediately arrested at the scene for forcibly interfering with the torch relay, Mito Police said.

"The suspect was charged because he intentionally targeted the runner and interfered with the relay", Deputy Police Chief Mito Noriaki Nagatsuka told Vice News.

"You can't shoot water at people for no good reason, he's definitely not kidding. This isn't child's play", Nagatsuka insisted.

Police said the suspect admitted the shooting and called it an act of protest against the holding of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which has drawn pros and cons, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

To note, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics which are due to kick off on July 23 are facing fierce opposition from many in Japan, amid concerns that it will continue despite the threat of COVID-19 and the country's slow vaccination rate. As well as, concerns that the event will import viruses from other countries.