A 44-year-old woman was arrested on Monday after she approached the U.S. consulate general in Okinawa and allegedly said a metal pipe she held contained gunpowder, prompting the police to temporarily restrict traffic in the area.
The police said they arrested Akino Miyagi, a resident of Higashi village in the southern island prefecture, for obstructing official duties by threatening a police officer on guard in front of the consulate saying she would throw the metal pipe. She denies the allegation.
No one was injured in the incident in Urasoe, a city neighboring the capital Naha.
Miyagi has been involved in protests urging the removal of waste left by the U.S. military when it returned part of its Northern Training Area facility to Japan.
In a statement, the consulate thanked the local police for their swift response.
The incident took place as the prefecture marked 51 years since its reversion to Japan from U.S. rule as residents' frustrations continue over hosting the bulk of U.S. military bases in the country.
