Over 2 million expected to join Saturday protests
Hundreds of Sookmyung Women’s University students walk out of school on their way to Gwanghwamun Square, downtown Seoul, to participate in an evening candlelit protest, Friday, after declaring a plan to boycott classes to protest the influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil. A massive anti-Park rally is scheduled today, with some 2 million participants expected nationwide. / Yonhap
By Lee Kyung-min
More than 2 million people are expected to join candlelit protests nationwide today to call for embattled President Park Geun-hye to step down, organizers said Friday.
The largest number of protesters _ 1.5 million people in central Seoul and 500,000 in other regions _ reflects public anger in the wake of Park’s rejection of a prosecution request for face-to-face questioning. The President has shown no signs of listening to the people’s call for her resignation despite a month-long anti-Park candlelit protests.
A growing number of university students are boycotting classes and professors from the Seoul National University and other universities will join the rally. At the same time, over 1,000 farmers across the nation have come to the capital to join the rally.
A coalition of 1,500 liberal civic groups said they will start a march at 4 p.m. to surround Cheong Wa Dae.
The Seoul Administrative Court ruled that protestors can march up to a point 200 meters from Cheong Wa Dae, the closest to the presidential office protestors have been permitted to reach so far.
Police initially planned to ban the gathering there to prevent traffic chaos. But the groups filed a request with the court, saying they were exercising their constitutional right to freedom of assembly, and were given the go-ahead after a ruling that previous protests were nonviolent.
But the court said they must finish their rally there by 5 p.m. and march away by 5:30 p.m. as it will become more difficult to maintain order at nighttime. People will be able to continue their protest in other areas beyond this time, with the main event planned in Gwanghwamun Square at 6 p.m.
After the event, they will hold a second street march via Jeong-dong, Jongno and Euljiro to the intersection of Gyeongbok Palace Station.
The weekend rallies have increased in size since the first one Oct. 29 when some 50,000 people gathered in Seoul. Gwanghwamun Square and nearby areas were filled with 1 million participants for the third rally on Nov. 12.
“The number of participants has grown to over 1 million. This time, we expect more people to turn out to demand Park’s resignation,” an official from the organizers said.
However, the weather is unfavorable for the protesters, with low temperatures and slight rain being forecast for the day. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, morning lows in Seoul will be slightly above zero degrees Celsius with midday highs at around 4 degrees.
Still, many people are expected to brave the cold weather to turn out, arming themselves with disposable heat packs and raincoats.
About 1,000 farmers from the provinces made their ways to Seoul to hold a rally in front of the Seoul Government Complex, Friday. But they were blocked on expressways from entering the capital, as police prevented those driving tractors and cultivators from continuing to Seoul.
In scuffles, seven farmers were taken into custody for disrupting traffic.
Farmers groups are also demanding the President step down, claiming the Park administration has ruined the rice farming industry by neglecting their calls to take steps to keep rice prices from falling further. They are set to take part in the candlelit rally today.
For rally participants, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to set up 16 portable toilets near the protest sites including Gwanghwamun Square, and Cheonggye and Seoul plazas.
It will also extend the hours of public transportation operations and dispatch emergency workers there. More information is available at mediahub.seoul.go.kr or the 120 Dasan Call Center.