Protesters, police clash in beef deal anniversary

Violent clashes between protesters and police marked the first anniversary of massive demonstrations against U.S. beef imports Saturday.

Hundreds of activists held a rally at Seoul Station Square to commemorate the May-June protests last year.

Participants condemned the Lee Myung-bak administration for t they call human rights abuses and policies deepening the economic malaise of poor people.



The clashes occurred when protestors started marching toward Gwanghwamun, stopping traffic and causing chaos in Downtown Seoul. Two were arrested by the police.

The conflict further escalated as the demonstrators reached Seoul City Hall, where the opening ceremony of the Hi Seoul Festival was being held. Tourists from around the world were frightened by the violent demonstrations.

As participants occupied the festival stage, protesting the police blockade in the area, the police called off all the ceremonies and sent Korean home and tourists to their hotels.

Amid the process, 69 more protestors were taken to nearby police stations and another 41 were taken while continuing the protest late in the night.

In total, 112 were detained at 10 different police stations.

On May. 2, 2008, around 10,000 citizens protested at the Gwanghwamun crossroads to demonstrate against the April U.S. beef agreement.

The rally turned into months-long riots, reaching a peak in June, when over 1 million people of various ages and backgrounds were reported to have participated in the protests.

The protests were an international embarrassment for the Korean governemnt.

The police, foreseeing a major anniversary rally on Saturday, vowed stern responses to illegal assemblies and posted riot forces in all major assembly areas. They also blocked, despite the Seoul Metro`s disapproval, some exits of the City Hall subway station in an attempt to obstruct the movement of potential protestors.

The Justice Ministry, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also put out a joint statement earlier on Saturday, asking people to restrain from violent demonstrations.

By Bae Hyun-jung



(tellme@heraldm.com)