By Kim Tae-jong
Police used water cannons to disperse thousands of protestors who took to the streets in central Seoul Sunday in support of a female labor activist holding a sit-in atop a giant crane.
The demonstrators continued the fourth round of the “Hope Bus” campaign in Seoul for the second day, opposing massive layoffs by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC).
It is the first time that the police have used water cannons since 2008 when they were used to tackle a massive candlelit protest against the imports of U.S. beef.
Police said the measure was in line with its strict stance against illegal protests, but protestors argued the protest was legally registered.It was the fourth round of the campaign and the first in Seoul with the previous events held in Busan where the company’s shipyard is located.
On Sunday afternoon, about 3,000 citizens and members of progressive civic and labor groups marched to the company’s Seoul office in Namyoung-dong.
They demanded the company withdraw its layoff plan and guarantee the safety of female activist Kim Jin-suk, who has held a sit-in at the 35-meter-high point of a giant crane at the company’s shipyard in Busan.
Earlier that day, some of protestors also went hiking on Mt. Inwang and Mt. Ansan, near Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office in Seoul, as part of the campaign, and put up a banner, reading “Abolish layoffs.”
As the police banned the hike, only a few protestors reached the peak. Originally, hundreds of protestors planned to join the mountain rally.
“We wanted to let President Lee Myung-bak know about our situation on the top of the two mountains, despite the restriction by the police,” said spokesperson Lee Chang-guen of the organization committee of the campaign.
On the previous day, about 7,000 protestors gathered in front of Seoul Finance Center in downtown Seoul around 7 p.m. and held a rally. Among them were politicians such as Rep. Chung Dong-young of the main opposition Democratic Party and Rhyu Si-min, chief policymaker of the minor People’s Participation Party.
The rally continued for three hours which included various cultural events such as speeches from laborers, dance and music concerts and a phone interview with the female activist from Busan.
During the protest, some people clashed with conservative group members who held a rally against the Hope Bus campaign.
The police pledged to take stern measures to ensure a peaceful demonstration.
“We will take punitive measures against illegal protestors, based on the evidence we collected,” an official from the National Police Agency said.