Candlelight Vigils Become Violent

The candlelight vigils against U.S. beef imports held over the weekend showed mixed aspects.

The rally was more like a “festival” on Saturday, in which protestors peacefully occupied the streets from Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall to Sejongno, Jongno. But it turned violent from the early morning of Sunday as participants wielded iron pipes and wooden sticks.

Some citizens are now reflecting on the violent protest laced with iron pipes and firecrackers.

○ Sejongno was like a “playground”

On Saturday, the second day of the “72-hour rally,” Seoul Plaza and Sejongno were the playgrounds for candlelight vigil protestors.

With street vendors from across the city joining more than 40,000 protestors, the streets were filled with people.

Families were sitting on mats on the streets with some even pitching tents on the lawn of Seoul Plaza.

A 41-year-old office worker participating in the rally said, “I came here because it regards my two sons’ food security. I think it will be an opportunity to teach my kids participatory democracy while making good memories of pitching a tent and having some barbecue in the middle of Seoul.”

A variety of events for protestors were held around the plaza, including street lectures on mad cow disease, screening of the movie “Sicko” and rock band performances.

A street vendor selling roast squid said, “From 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., I sold 400,000 to 500,000 won worth of squids on Friday and Saturday, respectively. This weekend was as good for me as in the 2002 World Cup.”

○ Violent protests from midnight

Around midnight, after most families went back home, the vigils turned into a violent street protest.

At 1 a.m. on Sunday, while about 7,000 protestors were at the Sejongno intersection, one of the protestors climbed onto a police bus, chanting, “The president himself should come out.” He fell onto the ground after scuffling with riot police.

Watching the incident, protestors began to climb up the bus using iron ladders, and police kept pushing the protestors with their shields and sprayed power fire extinguishers.

Protestors smashed the bus with iron pipes and hammers they took from a construction site near the Gwanghwamun subway station and fire extinguishers they snatched from the police, and sprayed water to police by using hoses from the construction site. Other protestors kept firing firecrackers at police, while still others created a threatening atmosphere by setting fire on sprays.

In the process, dozens of riot police officers and protestors were wounded.

The Anti-Mad Cow Association, which organized the candlelight vigils, said yesterday at least 20 protestors suffered injury in their heads and faces. Police also said that 37 riot police officers were wounded and 19 police vehicles damaged.

Police arrested 11 protestors and are investigating 10 of them after releasing a teenager.

A police officer said, “It was the first time that protestors wielded iron pipes since the first rally against U.S. beef imports on May 24. If the violent protests continue like in the 1970s and 80s, we might change our policy of restraining the use of water cannons.” Police is planning to sue the Anti-Mad Cow Association in damages.

○ ”Let’s go back to the peaceful rally”

As the candlelight vigils are becoming violent over time, there is a rising voice that the rally should go back to its original spirit of peaceful demonstrations.

A 25-year-old rally participant who kept chanting “No violence” to other protestors trying to break the police bus windows said, “Tens of thousands of citizens filling the Sejongno is enough to express opinions. What on earth is the reason for attempting to enter the presidential office while damaging the value of non-violence?”

There are also increasing postings that raise issues with the violent rally on the Web site of the Anti-Mad Cow Association. An Internet user wrote, “It is regrettable that some citizens used excessive violence. That was unnecessary behavior that blew up all the achievements that the month-long candlelight vigils have made. The use of violence only gives police a cause for violent suppression.”

Another Internet user contrasted a photo of a protestor wielding a fire extinguisher at a riot police officer and another photo from overseas of a person shot dead after attempting to throw an extinguisher at a police officer.

neo@donga.com firedy@donga.com