In the early hours of April 29, a man of Caucasian descent broke into the compound of the Japanese embassy in Palau with the intention of initiating a vigorous environmental protest against Japan’s fifth round of nuclear water discharges. The man allegedly sprayed an unknown red liquid mixture in multiple locations and hung protest banners in the embassy area parking lot. Pictures and videos taken at the scene show that the protest banner, which reads “Stop Radiological Terrorism,” is about eight meters long with red characters on a white background.
The red liquid, which was found to be a mixture of paint and fish blood, stretched from the ground in front of the Japanese embassy to the entrance of the embassy. Officials from the embassy arrived on the scene following the incident. Tritium, a radioactive isotope and possibly other radioactive traces are present in the wastewater but Japan maintains that it is safe. It is a long-term environmental threat that could impact ecosystems all the way to North America, according to experts in neighboring countries.
Police are investigating but have not made any arrests in this case and embassy officials have refused to comment on this case. It could prove to be an embarrassment to Japanese Foreign Ministry political Secretary Masahara Komura who is currently visiting Palau.