Thousands of radical students battled riot police with rocks, clubs and firebombs in street clashes Saturday to demand the overthrow of President Roh Tae-woo and the expulsion of U.S. troops.
Police arrested more than 1,000 people in the confrontations, which came on the second anniversary of the start of the June 1987 riots that brought down the authoritarian regime of former president Chun Doo-hwan.Opposition groups denounced Roh for deciding not to hold a promised referendum on his presidency and demanded he go ahead with the vote.
Violence broke out in central Seoul when students hurled rocks and bricks at riot police who tried to stop protest marches. Police fired volleys of tear gas and made baton charges to disperse protesters. Saturday afternoon shoppers ran for cover.
Students yelled, "Crush the Roh Tae-woo regime" and "Yankee go home." Police said more than 1,000 protesters were arrested and that there were dozens of minor injuries on both sides. One police commander said up to 5,000 people took part in the protests, the worst in Seoul since labor and student protests in late April.
The government deployed 20,000 riot police to block protests. Thousands of troops in combat fatigues and visored helmets guarded downtown and key government buildings. About 20 busloads of riot police ringed the U.S. Embassy.
Protests began earlier Saturday when riot police blocked demonstrations at two colleges by about 2,000 radical students demanding to be allowed to attend a youth festival next month in communist North Korea.
North Korea has invited South Korean students to attend the athletic and cultural event, which mainly draws participants from non-aligned and communist nations. South Korea has accused the north of attempting to incite domestic unrest to weaken the Seoul government.
About 1,500 students battled riot police with clubs and rocks at Yonsei University when troops blocked them from marching off the campus. About 500 protesters at nearby Sogang University fought police with firebombs and rocks.
Thousands of students then gathered in the city center, where more fighting broke out as protesters called for Roh's resignation.
Student leaders denounced Roh and the United States, charging they keep the Korean peninsula divided. They called for unification with communist North Korea and the expulsion of the 43,000 U.S. troops based in South Korea.
South Korea's radical students and dissidents lack public support because of their extremist views and violent tactics.