Some 80 protesters engage in 2-day standoff with police over Sewol disaster

Some 2,000 people (police estimate) were in standoff with police throughout the night at Anguk-dong intersection in Seoul’s Jongno district, while trying to move towards the presidential office on Friday. About 500 protestors rejected police’ order to dismiss and started to be forced out into pedestrian paths by police around 2 a.m. on Saturday. Only after police’s measure to dismiss the demonstrators by force, traffic restrictions into nearby roadways were lifted around 3:40 a.m. on the day. However, more than 80 protestors occupied a section of the road in front of Pungmun Girls’ High School and continued illegal protest until daytime Saturday.

Clash between the bereaved families of victims of the Sewol disaster and civic groups will likely continue in the coming days in areas near the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae. The April 16 coalition, which was formed by bereaved families and civic groups, held a press conference to condemn "non-communicative, violent regime and to form a coalition for truth behind the Sewol disaster" at 3:10 p.m. on Saturday. “We failed to reach the site right in front of the presidential office today, but we will go further tomorrow and even further the day after tomorrow," the coalition said.

The Sewol candlelight vigil culture festival will be held in the name of “Discard rubbish executive ordinance for Sewol’s investigation! We warn the presidential office, which is not answering." “We will continue candle light vigils from tomorrow. If the Cabinet meeting on May 6 passes (the government’s) executive ordinances of the Special Sewol Act, we will switch the candlelight vigils into a protest to condemn the administration,” said Park Rae-gun, a member of the standing steering committee of the April 16 coalition. “We will hold a protest of condemnation on Saturday (next weekend) by gathering with more people, and citizens at the plaza, and will hold an assembly of condemnation.”

thousand@donga.com