Mass street protest held against deadly squatter crackdown

(ATTN: UPDATES with larger crowd, minor injuries in paras 7-8)
By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Yonhap) -- Thousands of government critics rallied in central
Seoul Sunday, accusing President Lee Myung-bak of rolling back democracy and
refusing to take responsibility for a deadly police crackdown on squatters that
left six people dead.
On Jan. 19, police raided a dilapidated four-story building in Seoul's Yongsan
district to evict dozens of squatters opposing redevelopment of the
neighborhood. Six people, including a police officer, were killed in a fire
that swept through the building.
Opposition parties and civic activists joined hands to pressure the president to
fire the Seoul police chief, Kim Seok-ki, who ordered the crackdown. Documents
show that police knew the squatters were armed with fire-bombs and other
inflammables.
The incident occurred as the Seoul police head was awaiting a parliamentary
confirmation hearing on his promotion to the nation's top police post.
Appearing on a television program on Saturday, the president refused to sack the
police chief and said he would consider it only after prosecutors finish their
investigation into the incident.
"Thirteen days have passed since the Yongsan tragedy occurred, but the
government, not willing to take any responsibility, is declaring a war against
workers, farmers and the people by pushing for the vicious bills on the pretext
of reviving the economy," Chung Sye-kyun, chairman of the major opposition
Democratic Party, said during the rally.
The crowd, estimated by police at 3,000, shouted in support, holding candles and
waving red, yellow and white flags. Organizers put the number at 20,000.
After the three-and-a-half-hour rally, some of the protesters clashed with police
trying to block them from marching into the streets. Police and witnesses said
one protester and two police officers were injured and taken to hospitals.
The protesters were also angry at the president's push to pass a series of what
they called "evil bills" through the ruling party-controlled National Assembly.
Critics argue that those "evil bills," if passed, would roll back Korea's
hard-won democracy.
One bill particularly at issue proposes that large businesses and newspapers be
allowed to own or control television stations, a move critics argue is aimed at
prolonging power.
Those "evil bills" are expected to be a hot issue at the National Assembly which
opens for a special session on Monday. The ruling Grand National Party controls
172 seats in the 299-member Assembly.
Kang Ki-kab, chairman of the splinter opposition Democratic Labor Party, demanded
an immediate dismissal of the police chief responsible for the Yongsan disaster.
"The government has mercilessly cracked down on those on the verge of dying in
destitution. Let us bring the government to the people's judgment!," Kang
shouted.
Some 90 right-wing activists held a counter-rally nearby, criticizing the
opposition parties for trying to politically use the Yongsan incident.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)