hankyoreh

A massive rally against a free trade agreement with the United States and laws against irregular workers was held on November 11 with the participation of some 20,000 farmers and workers, according to police estimates.

Despite the government’s refusal to grant a permit for the demonstration, tens of thousands of farmers and workers began sealing off the main street between Seoul City Hall and Namdaemun at around 3:00 p.m. yesterday.

As riot police tried to block them, Lee Hyeong-jin, 45, attempted to set himself on fire, but riot police acted quickly and extinguished the flames. Lee is a farmer from Haman, South Jolla province.

Protesters called on the government to block the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, revise laws governing irregular workers, and tighten regulations against speculative foreign investors and public financial institutions. They also demanded that the government withdraw that Zaytun Unit from Iraq, stop the crack-down on street vendors and resolve unemployment issues for young jobseekers.

Kwon Young-gil, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Labor Party, said, “The neoliberal policy of President Roh Moo-hyun’s administration has taken the lives of farmers and street vendors. We have decided to gather here to announce a new fighting ground,” Kwon said.

Organizers accused the administration of President Roh Moo-hyun of sealing off the demonstration, saying, “This is the first time since 1998 that the government has not approved a nationwide protest, except for two rallies during the administration of former President Roh Tae-woo. President Roh Moo-hyun’s administration has finally proven itself to be against laborers and farmers.”

At around 2:30 p.m, protesters scuffled with riot police, hurling parts of road bricks or wielding sticks. After the demonstration, they attempted to march toward the U.S. embassy building in downtown Seoul. The government mobilized some 24,000 riot police officers in a plaza near Seoul City Hall, and some 64,000 riot police officers across the country in order to block the demonstrations.

Shin In-soo, a lawyer at the civic organization Lawyers for Democratic Society, said, “The government has clearly breached the constitutional right to demonstrate. It blocked the demonstration, though it had no clear grounds to do so.”


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