hankyoreh

laugh at a speech given at the June 8th demonstration.

On June 8th, 38 days after the beginning of the protests about US beef imports, there were signs of violent actions at street demonstrations and candlelight vigils, as the South Korean government reiterated that it wouldn’t renegotiate an agreement with U.S. The People’s Countermeasure Council against Full Resumption of Imports of US Beef Endangered with Mad Cow Disease, an umbrella group of civic and labor organizations that has organized the daily rallies, accused President Lee Myung-bak of “adding gasoline to the fires of public anger by ignoring peoples’ demands.”

Earlier in the day, Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han and Public Administration and Security Minister Won Sei-hoon held a joint press conference and issued a statement that the government was worried about some protesters wielding steel pipes at candlelight vigils. In addition, the government said it would take a stern action against illegal demonstrations.

On the same day, some 150,000 people participated into the final day of their “72-hour rally” that began June 6. After holding overnight rallies, they clashed with riot police in the early morning on June 8 as they tried to march toward the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae from streets of Gwanghwamun, Angukro, Euijuro and Shinmunro in Seoul. During the clashes, scores of police personnel and citizens were injured. Police said they detained 11 citizens on charges of destroying window glasses and wire nets of police buses.

In response, the People’s Countermeasure Council issued a statement which appeal for peaceful demonstrations by the participants on June 8. The statement also said that “Only the police and government want the participants to wield steel pipes at candlelight vigils. We have kept candlelight vigils peacefully 31 times since May 2. Don’t respond aggressively to the violence by the police.”

Organizers of the rallies also claimed, “Police had taken violent actions by mercilessly spraying fire extinguishers and hurling bottles filled with with foul substances in order to forcefully disperse citizens at Gwanghwamun Street.”

On the afternoon of June 8, the “72-hour People’s Action Relay” ended in front of the Seoul City Plaza. Despite of heavy rains earlier in the day, thousands of citizens joined the day’s candlelight vigil. On June 9, the People’s Countermeasure Council against Full Resumption of Imports of US Beef Endangered with Mad Cow Disease plans to hold an event for the remembrance of late Lee Han-yeol, who was died in 1987 after being struck with a tear gas canister fired by riot police while a pro-democracy rally. The death of Lee, a Yonsei University student at that time, culminated mass street demonstrations against then military-backed government. On June 10, the organizers plan to hold a candlelight march with 1 million citizens, which they say will become a watershed in the rallies against a plan to resume U.S. beef imports.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]