As the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas continues for a month, a rally condemning Israel was held in downtown Seoul. During the march, a confrontation occurred between protestors and police.
The ‘Korean Civil Society Emergency Action in Solidarity with Palestine’, a gathering of 84 civic groups, held a rally at the Mugyo-dong intersection in Cheonggyecheon, Jung-gu, Seoul, near the Israeli Embassy in Korea, on the afternoon of the 4th and condemned Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip. Organizers estimated that 500 people participated in the rally that day.
On this day, Mr. Sima, a Jordanian writer, said, “This is not the first attack on civilians taking place (in the Gaza Strip),” and added, “We demand an end to the genocide taking place in Palestine. “I ask for Koreans’ solidarity for the freedom of Palestine,” he said.
Kim Jeong-hee-won, a professor at Arizona State University, who took the podium, mentioned the civilian sacrifices in the Gaza Strip and said, “It is a dereliction of duty for intellectuals to leave this situation alone. “I ask intellectuals to take to the streets and stand in solidarity to support the liberation of Palestine,” she said.
After the rally, the march started from Cheonggyenam-ro, went through Gwanghwamun intersection, Jongno 1-ga, Eulji-ro 1-ga, and Seoul Plaza before returning to the rally site.
During this process, protestors and police faced off for about 15 minutes over the direction of the march. Police are said to have been concerned about clashes near the Israeli embassy.
Previously, the police had issued a notice prohibiting outdoor gatherings in some march sections. However, the organizers of the rally applied to the court for a suspension of execution, and the Seoul Administrative Court accepted this considering that the embassy was closed on Saturday. Citing this, the organizers ended the rally by reversing the direction of the march while protesting against the police.
Since the first demonstration in support of Palestine in downtown Seoul was held on the 11th of last month, various civic groups have continued to hold demonstrations.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.