Photo/Illutration People gather at Hibiya Park in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on Sept. 27 to protest the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Takuya Isayama)

A tense atmosphere emerged in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward when opponents and supporters of the state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe exchanged words near the venue on Sept. 27.

Police officers rushed to the scene near Nippon Budokan hall, where the state funeral was held, to prevent the situation from escalating.

According to organizers, around 1,000 people joined the protest in Hibiya Park in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward in the morning.

The demonstrators then marched from the park holding placards reading “No state funeral” and other words of objection.

Organizers gave speeches during the rally.

“As the money of us taxpayers is being spent (on the state funeral), it effectively forces us to mourn (for Abe),” author Keiko Ochiai told the crowd.

The protestors passed the Kudanshita crossing near Nippon Budokan hall, shouting “Don’t spend taxpayers’ money arbitrarily.”

But supporters of the funeral confronted the protesters, shouting at them to “go home.”

Separately, around 200 protesters gathered in front of the Diet building in Chiyoda Ward by 12:45 p.m., about an hour before the state funeral started at 2 p.m.

“I came here after telling my employer that I’m sick,” a 26-year-old female company employee said. “I couldn’t make up my mind until the last minute though. I was thinking that maybe I should go to work, or that I might be wasting my time by coming here.”

However, she said, “I came here because I thought I will show how I feel (about the funeral), even if I can only be of small help.”

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