Police fire water cannon to citizens who staged all-night rally against the imports of American beef, near Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, early Sunday morning. / Korea Times Photo by Kim Joo-sung |
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
A growing number of citizens and college students are replacing middle and high school students in candlelit vigils that are sweeping over Seoul and other major cities across the nation to protest American beef imports.
From housewives wheeling baby strollers to office workers and senior citizens, people from every corner of society are taking part in the rallies, defying the use of force by police.
The Lee Myung-bak administration has alleged that some left-leaning and anti-American masterminds and behind-the-scenes organizers are pulling the strings of the vigils.
However, the latest candlelit protests show little sign of being organized. Unlike past rallies characterized by organized, well-prepared chants, slogans and songs, the latest vigils lack such systematic or consistent patterns. Demonstrators claim participants are being easily arrested due to the absence of leaders and organizers, with hundreds of arrests being made every night.
``Citizens against the import of U.S. beef are behind the rally. There are no such things as masterminds or instigators,'' said Im So-hee, an official from the civic group Nanum Munhwa. ``We raise the necessary, minimum money through voluntary donations from lay people. We are not getting financial support from any political organization.''
Many demonstrators also said that they are not protesting against the U.S. but demanding the Lee administration renegotiate the U.S. beef import agreement to protect people from mad cow disease.
``The government repeatedly raises questions over the genuine purpose of these rallies to justify the forcible dismissal of peaceful demonstrators,'' said Im Jong-yeom, 40, who joined the rally with his eight-year-old son. ``We gather here with the sole purpose of keeping our foodstuff safe.''
Several medical teams and military-looking people who stood in front of the marching crowd to act as a ``bumper'' between demonstrators and police were also volunteers. The nation's second largest portal site Daum has served as a ``recruiter'' of these voluntary workers.
``We decided to voluntarily participate in the rally after reading notices asking for medical and safety services,'' a male in his mid-20's said dressed in military uniform. ``The medical team is comprised of hospital workers and medical students.''
On Saturday night, at least 50,000 people flocked to the plaza in front of Seoul City Hall. Civic groups estimate the number of participants at 100,000. Some of them took to the streets to march toward Cheong Wa Dae. On Saturday night, approximately 20,000 protesters advanced to entry roads to the presidential house. To disperse them, police, for the first time, fired water cannon and fire extinguishers at the protestors.
On Daum's Agora Web site, video clips and pictures showing police using a water cannon alongside images of bleeding demonstrators have been posted and thousands of Internet users have posted messages criticizing the police and President Lee.
``Rally participants are being easily rounded up. That's because there are no leaders or groups that systematically organize the vigils,'' a rally participant in his 30s said. ``Still, it's voluntary so far and so we can't help it at this point.''
The vigils are expected to spread to Busan and other major cities across the nation. And if police continue to use stronger force to disperse rallies, they might become more organized and politicized, portending to more clashes between police and demonstrators, rally participants said.
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