South Korea police attack demonstrators protesting over ferry disaster
Police in South Korea have attacked protesters participating in a rally to call for more government action in response to the 2014 ferry tragedy that killed over 300 people.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in downtown, Seoul, the capital, on Saturday as part of a rally organized by a group representing the families of the victims, who were mainly students.
According to witnesses, hundreds of police forces prevented the demonstrators from approaching the presidential Blue House by using buses as barricades.
South Korean media also reported that security forces used water cannons and pepper spray against the protesters, while making about 20 arrests.
The participants in the rally sought an independent investigation into the deadly incident as well as immediate action by the government to recover the wreckage of the Sewol ferry.
The ship sunk off South Korea’s southern coast on April 16, 2014, claiming the lives of 304 people, including 250 students who were on a school journey.
Over the past months, the families of the victims have staged numerous demonstrations and sit-ins in the streets of Seoul, demanding clear answers from the government over the real cause of the incident.
The bereaved families are angry at the government, which they accuse of letting them down again this week after it failed to announce a plan to pull out the ferry by the first anniversary of the disaster.
On April 16, President Park Geun-hye said her administration would start preparations to recover the 6,800-tonne ship.
Apart from the vessel’s poor redesigning, many blame the accident on regulatory problems and the incompetence of South Korea’s shipping authorities. More than 50 people have been taken to the court over the incident, including 15 crew members, who were accused of leaving the students inside the sinking ferry and boarding lifeboats.
MR/HJL/SS
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