Labor Day ends with no serious clash

On May Day, the police and the protesters had struggled with each other after the mass rallies of the laborers in 8 cities around the nation including downtown Seoul, Pusan, Taegu, Kwangju, Chunju, Wonju, Pohang, and Cheju.

The Police deployed 11,000 officers, including 75 companies of riot police, 8 companies of police officers in normal uniform, 4 companies of traffic officers, and two policewoman companies in Seoul Railway Station, Daehakro, and other places. The riot police stationed 300 meters away from the location of the assembly and did not provide police batons to the officers in normal uniform and the policewoman.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Union and 20,000 participant laborers paraded from Marronnier Park, where they had held a commemoration ceremony of ``The 111th World May Day`` at 2 p.m., through Chongro 2 ga and YMCA to Kwanghwamun intersection around 4 p.m. The handicapped workers in wheelchairs led in front of their parade.

The handicapped workers and foreign laborers also participated in the rally of KCTU and appealed for the ``2% compulsory employment of the handicapped`` and the ``Protection for the right of foreign laborers.`` A police officer, who was taking pictures of the scene, happened to be attacked by raged workers.

The Federation of Korean Trade Union also gathered with 4,000 workers in front of the Seoul Railway Station about 1:00 p.m. and tried to make a parade to Myongdong Cathedral after they had finished their assembly to ``crush the suppression of labor.``

However, the police dismissed them in front of the Midopa department store around 4:30, when they marched toward the City Hall, by deploying in a rush 10 companies of the riot police.

Meanwhile, the police and the laborers waged each other in the ``battle for collection of evidences.`` Downtown Seoul yesterday suffered severe traffic jams by the rallies of unions.