 Professors of Sungkyunkwan University read a statement against the government at the school in Seoul, Monday. Thirty-five of its professors denounced the Lee Myungbak administration for excessive use of police force, suppression of the freedom of assembly and indifference to the poor and underprivileged. / Yonhap |
Police Ban Planned Rallies Against Gov’t in Central Seoul
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
Police have banned anti-government rallies scheduled for central Seoul on Wednesday, heightening fears of a clash with protestors.
Wednesday is the 22nd anniversary of the nationwide pro-democracy ``6/10 movement'' in June 1987.
At that time, hundreds of thousands of people rose up against then President Chun Doo-hwan's dictatorship, forcing the military junta to declare on June 29 that the government would introduce a direct presidential election system.
Opposition political parties and civic groups timed the latest rally to coincide with the watershed moment, which also led to the release of detained pro-democracy activists including Kim Dae-jung, who later became President between 1998 and 2003.
The Democratic Party, progressive civic groups, scholars, and religious leaders want to stage rallies at Seoul Plaza, Cheonggye Stream and other parts of Seoul.
``It's to denounce the Lee Myung-bak administration for its policies backpedaling the country's democracy, friendly to the rich, and raising Seoul-Pyeongyang tensions,'' organizers said in a joint statement.
Police said the applications for the rallies were rejected because some other conservative organizations filed applications for the use of the plaza beforehand. National Police Agency Commissioner Kang Hee-rak demanded police officers around the country play by the rules in cracking down on unauthorized demonstrators.
Despite the refusal, anti-government civic groups plan to push ahead with the rallies as planned.
Disputes Deepening
On top of the protests led by civic groups, unionized workers and non-permanent laborers are also expected to join afterward. A string of rallies by laborers, including cargo truck drivers, are likely to follow suit throughout the month.
At the same time, collective action by university professors is ongoing nationwide. Students and leading figures in various fields including law, culture and religion are joining the anti-government movement.
On Wednesday, professors at six universities issued joint statements condemning the government. Among them is President Lee's alma mater, Korea University.
In a statement drafted by 131 professors of the school, they claimed that the freedom of assembly and speech have been greatly impaired since Lee took office.
``The current administration snubbed anti-government sentiment materialized through candlelit rallies last year, and nationwide mourning parades for the late President Roh Moo-hyun,'' it said. ``The government's economy-first policy has made poor people poorer and widened the social rift. The overall situation is getting worse than in the previous administration.''
Thirty-five professors at Sungkyunkwan University also called on President Lee to make an apology for what they called the politically-oriented investigation of Roh.
About 18 universities across the country issued similar statements over the weekend. Among them were Kangwon National, Dong-A, Silla, Sogang, and 15 universities in North Jeolla Province. Professors at Yonsei and Soongsil plan to issue a statement on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
pss@koreatimes.co.kr
