By Chung Ah-young
Police will likely ban a second anti-government rally, scheduled for Dec. 5, to prevent a repeat of the violence that occurred during a previous demonstration earlier this month.
"We have not decided yet whether we will allow another rally to take place because we have yet to receive notice for the rally," said an official from the National Police Agency on Tuesday.
"Even if we do get notice, though, if we have reason to believe the rally will turn violent, we will consider banning it," he said. Under the law, assemblies and demonstrations are allowed if organizers notify the authorities in advance of their plans.
However, police said they can ban rallies, citing a provision that disallows such gatherings if they are likely turn violent and threaten public safety and social order.
According to police, 24 rallies have been prohibited since 2012 based on this provision.
However, civic groups and opposition parties have argued that banning rallies runs counter to the Constitution which guarantees freedom of assembly.
The Lawyers for a Democratic Society, an organization of progressive lawyers, said that the law allows assembly on condition of prior notification, not permission from police. "The notification is made for police to brace for public safety, not to ban assembly," the group said.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the Nov. 14 rally organizers, said that it is considering organizing a second demonstration in Seoul instead of its initial plan to hold smaller-scale rallies nationwide.
On Monday, KCTU head Han Sang-gyun, who is staying in Jogye Temple to avoid being arrested by the police, met Ven. Dobeop and asked the monk to mediate with the government concerning issues such as the peaceful hosting of a second rally and help establish a dialogue between the government and labor representatives.
Police are investigating 234 protesters from the previous rally. After apprehending 51 protesters on the spot on Nov. 14, police detained seven and booked 44 without detention for violating laws related to assembly and demonstration. They also asked the heads of 46 out of the 53 participating organizations to appear before police for questioning.
Police raided the headquarters of the KCTU on Saturday as part of an investigation into the alleged violence during the rally.
On Nov. 14, tens of thousands of people from 53 labor, civic and farmers groups staged a 12-hour rally to protest the government's actions to adopt state-authored history textbooks and reform the labor market, among other issues. Police suppressed protesters using water cannons, leaving a 69-year-old farmer, surnamed Baek, in a coma.
Police will likely ban a second anti-government rally, scheduled for Dec. 5, to prevent a repeat of the violence that occurred during a previous demonstration earlier this month.
"We have not decided yet whether we will allow another rally to take place because we have yet to receive notice for the rally," said an official from the National Police Agency on Tuesday.
"Even if we do get notice, though, if we have reason to believe the rally will turn violent, we will consider banning it," he said. Under the law, assemblies and demonstrations are allowed if organizers notify the authorities in advance of their plans.
However, police said they can ban rallies, citing a provision that disallows such gatherings if they are likely turn violent and threaten public safety and social order.
According to police, 24 rallies have been prohibited since 2012 based on this provision.
However, civic groups and opposition parties have argued that banning rallies runs counter to the Constitution which guarantees freedom of assembly.
The Lawyers for a Democratic Society, an organization of progressive lawyers, said that the law allows assembly on condition of prior notification, not permission from police. "The notification is made for police to brace for public safety, not to ban assembly," the group said.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the Nov. 14 rally organizers, said that it is considering organizing a second demonstration in Seoul instead of its initial plan to hold smaller-scale rallies nationwide.
On Monday, KCTU head Han Sang-gyun, who is staying in Jogye Temple to avoid being arrested by the police, met Ven. Dobeop and asked the monk to mediate with the government concerning issues such as the peaceful hosting of a second rally and help establish a dialogue between the government and labor representatives.
Police are investigating 234 protesters from the previous rally. After apprehending 51 protesters on the spot on Nov. 14, police detained seven and booked 44 without detention for violating laws related to assembly and demonstration. They also asked the heads of 46 out of the 53 participating organizations to appear before police for questioning.
Police raided the headquarters of the KCTU on Saturday as part of an investigation into the alleged violence during the rally.
On Nov. 14, tens of thousands of people from 53 labor, civic and farmers groups staged a 12-hour rally to protest the government's actions to adopt state-authored history textbooks and reform the labor market, among other issues. Police suppressed protesters using water cannons, leaving a 69-year-old farmer, surnamed Baek, in a coma.
