Fishermen at a Japanese prime minister’s attack acted quickly to swarm the suspect as he tried to flee the scene on Tuesday. During a visit to Ishigaki island in southern Japan, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s motorcade was attacked by a local fisherman with a Molotov cocktail in an apparent protest against Japan’s policy on fishing rights in the area.

The man, identified as Tetsuya Yamahiro, 57, threw the explosive device towards the convoy, but missed and it landed in a nearby field. Fishermen who were protesting nearby quickly rushed towards Yamahiro, preventing him from escaping. They tackled him to the ground before the police arrived on the scene.

Suga was not hurt in the attack and continued with his visit to the island. The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between local fisherman and the Japanese government over fishing rights in the area.

The Ishigaki Island is part of a group of islands in the East China Sea that are claimed by both Japan and China. The dispute has caused frequent tensions between the two countries and is a major point of contention in diplomatic relations.

The incident has been widely condemned by Japanese officials, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato calling it a “heinous act” and reiterating that violence is never acceptable. Yamahiro has been charged with attempted murder and is currently being held in police custody for further questioning.