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Police seek arrest warrants for two anti-FTA protesters

Yonhap News, Seoul

Police seek arrest warrants for two anti-FTA protesters

22 June 2007

Water balloons thrown by protesters hit a picture of Wendy Cutler, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, during a rally against the free trade agreement talks between the U.S. and South Korea in front of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul June 21, 2007. South Korea and the United States on Thursday held talks on labour and environmental standards included in a sweeping trade deal they struck earlier in the year in order to help its passage in the U.S. Congress. (REUTERS/Jo Yong-Hak)

SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) — Police said Tuesday they have sought arrest warrants for two protest leaders in connection with illegal street demonstrations.

Defying a police ban, the activists in March and April held mass rallies in Seoul opposing a free-trade agreement (FTA) between Seoul and Washington.

The rallies resulted in violent clashes, injuring police officers and causing serious traffic congestion in central Seoul, police said.

The Korean Alliance against the Korea-U.S. FTA criticized the police, saying they should withdraw their move to seek warrants.

"We have a just reason to hold the rally, and it is to let people know the truth about the Korea-U.S. FTA," it said in a statement.

A local court has yet to decide whether to issue the warrants.

South Korea and the U.S. ended FTA talks in early April after 10 months of negotiations. The agreement, expected to be signed by the two governments by the end of June, needs to be ratified by the legislative bodies of both countries.

South Korean farmers claim that if the FTA goes into effect, it will endanger their livelihoods. Farmers account for about 8 percent of South Korea’s population of 48.5 million.

 Fuente:
  acciones | resistencia Corea Estados Unidos