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Hundreds injured as 15,000 SKoreans protest US beef after Rice visits Seoul
Sun, Jun 29 01:04 PM
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ South Korean protesters battled riot police early Sunday at a rally opposing the resumption of American beef imports, hours after the U.S. secretary of state vouched for the health of U.S. cattle. About 15,000 people some wielding steel pipes and hurling stones at police staged a street demonstration in Seoul on Saturday night, demanding the government withdraw its decision to lift a ban on U.S. beef imports.
The rally turned violent after some protesters used ropes to try to drag away police buses used as barricades to prevent them from marching into the presidential Blue House. Riot police immediately fired water cannons and sprayed fire extinguishers to repel them.
Angry protesters attacked police with steel pipes and stones, while police used clubs and shields against the crowd. Several hundred protesters were hurt during the rally that continued until Sunday morning, according to a coalition of civic groups that has organized weeks of demonstrations.
Police said the clash left more than 100 riot police injured and about 50 protesters were arrested on charges of assaulting police and illegally occupying streets. Activists have staged daily rallies on the streets of the capital to voice fears about the possible health risks of U.S. beef, such as mad cow disease.
As officials began inspecting U.S. beef on Friday before it can reach markets, hundreds of labor activists blocked customs storage facilities. The beef issue topped the agenda when U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met South Korean officials during her visit to Seoul as part of an Asian tour.
She flew to China on Sunday. Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han said Sunday authorities have no choice but to use such measures as tear gas to prevent the recurrence of clashes between police and protesters.
Tear gas has been banned since 1999. Rice faced a barrage of questions Saturday about the safety of American beef.
"I want to assure everyone that American beef is safe," she told a news conference with South Korea's foreign minister, Yu Myung-hwan. "We will continue to work with you to have consumer confidence in that matter.
" Earlier rallies opposing the beef import deal drew 80,000 people at their peak, but have since dwindled. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has said he would not tolerate illegal, violent protests against the U.S. beef imports any longer.
Jang Dae-hyun, a spokesman for the protest group, said police should cease the harsh methods used against demonstrators to prevent further violence. "We've been supporting peaceful rallies, but the police crackdown is too harsh," Jang said.
Kim said weeks of protests have made foreign tourists and investors wary of South Korea. "Who can trust and invest in South Korea?" he said.
U.S. beef has been banned since late 2003, when the first case of mad cow disease in the U.S. was discovered. In the wake of public outrage over plans to resume shipments of American beef, the South Korean Cabinet offered to resign and the president reshuffled top advisers.
__ Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
