S Korea cops raid civic groups
2008-06-30 11:29
Seoul - Police raided the offices of civic groups that have led weeks of street rallies against South Korea's resumption of US beef imports, as customs officials finished inspecting the first meat expected to hit markets on Monday.
The state-run quarantine service said on Monday it inspected about 94 US tons of US beef and local importers could put it on store shelves later in the day.
However, Lee Myung-kwon, a spokesperson at the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, said "it will not be easy for importers to distribute beef in this atmosphere" because of the protests, which included demonstrators trying to block meat shipments from leaving storehouses.
Earlier on Monday, authorities searched the Seoul offices of two civic groups and confiscated materials and documents related to their rallies, an official at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said on condition of anonymity, citing policy. He did not provide further details.
The Korea Solidarity of Progressive Movement group said police confiscated computers, placards, masks and other materials used during demonstrations along with office documents unrelated to the rallies. One senior leader was taken away by police on charges of instigating violent protests, said group official Choi Ji-yong.
Activists, students and ordinary citizens have staged daily candlelight rallies in Seoul to voice fears about the possible health risks of US beef, such as mad cow disease, following an accord in April to restart imports.
Ban on rallies
The protests have been joined by a variety of liberal groups angered by the policies of the conservative new President Lee Myung-bak, and sometimes turned violent. Clashes flared again over the weekend after officials began inspecting US beef.
The government earlier halted implementation of the April accord in the face of weeks of protests and negotiated an update with Washington in June stipulating that the beef must be from cows younger than 30 months, believed to be at less risk of disease.
During a rally that began on Saturday night, about 15 000 people - some wielding steel pipes and hurling stones - fought with riot police who used clubs and shields to prevent the crowds from marching to the president's office, leaving more than 200 people injured.
Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han said on Sunday that authorities would arrest those who instigate violent protests, which he said would aggravate national economic difficulties amid rising global oil prices.
Kim also said authorities may use liquid tear gas agents if violent protests continue. South Korean police have voluntarily banned the use of tear gas since 1999 because of the legacy of its use in the 1980s against pro-democracy protesters against the military-backed regime.
Police began enforcing a ban on rallies on Sunday and arrested about 130 protesters, but there were no serious clashes or injuries.
- AP