Guerilla Protesters Play Violent Game

Police faces another round of clash due to a “war game” played by some violent protesters who reappeared in 19 days.

Later on July 17 and in the early morning on July 18, about 50 people led an extremely violent rally of armed protesters.

From 10:20 p.m., the protesters who hid their faces with masks and caps destroyed the iron nets and glasses of police buses, using metal pipes, hammers, fire shooters and slingshots. They also made 10 metal pipes instantly with the traffic sign boards they removed, and used them to destroy the police buses.

It was revealed that they fully planned and prepared for the violent protest as if gearing up for a war against the police, shooting the police with slingshots and preparing raincoats in case police use the water canon. “These protesters prepared beforehand one metal pipe, two hammers and one fire shooter to stage a violent and radical rally,” explained police.

After this rally, four buses were destroyed and one two-way radio and four shields were stolen.

According to police, metal pipes that symbolize violent protests appeared four times over the past two months during which candlelight vigils were held on and off. The metal pipes were used on June 7, 26 and 28, and suddenly reappeared on July 17.

One police official said, “It seems that some protesters are enjoying the violence as if playing a war game. They seem to take part in the candlelight protests all the time but, when they turn violent, they cover their faces with masks, so it is not easy to identify them and arrest.

Police explained that while most of the instigators of violent protests are young men in their 20s and 30s with a few middle-aged ones in 40s and 50s, arrested people are mainly those who are dissatisfied with society like the homeless.

Because the young protesters who instigate violence can quickly run away from the venue after attacking (the police) with metal pipes, only those who remain there until the end are caught. “It’s difficult to catch them because they just hit and run. What the police can do is to collect evidence primarily and track them down later.”

Some, however, point out that the police are being passive in order to avoid collision with the protesters. Police are concerned that if they are surrounded by the protesters while attempting to arrest them and are led to collide with them, they will face hardship though their exercise of authority was just.

Some protesters surrounded and threatened police officials trying to arrest illegal demonstrators, and even took away a two-way radio from an information police officer.

“When you are surrounded by protesters at the site, you don’t know what’s going to happen to you. It is not easy to arrest them right there,” said a policeman who has been surrounded by the angry protesters.

Those hosting the candlelight rallies seem unable to control the violence by some participants. In particular, during the candlelight rallies held on July 12, some protesters exercised violence against the masterminds of the rallies leading the gathering in front of Jogye Temple in Seoul, crying out, “We need to march toward Cheong Wa Dae but the masterminds are blocking us” and “Get away,” and threw trashes to broadcasting automobiles and the stage.

constant25@donga.com