Seoul Closes 28 Universities to Ease Unrest

Masked students held off police from behind street barricades today and officials began closing universities, the spawning grounds of anti-government violence.

Opposition leaders called for new protests in their drive to oust President Chun Doo Hwan’s military-backed government.

The students in Seoul shouted “Down with the military dictatorship!” and “Revolution!” as they bombarded police with gasoline bombs and rocks.

Battles were reported in at least four other cities. Protesters attacked police stations and burned vehicles in the eighth day of South Korea’s worst political violence since Chun, then an army general, rose to power after President Park Chung Hee was assassinated in 1979.

28 Universities Closed

Officials shut 28 universities today to halt the campus protests, which usually spill into the streets, and dozens more were expected to be closed.

Police firing tear gas dispersed protesters chanting slogans in the downtown districts of several cities.

Students in Chinju blocked a highway and seized two liquefied gas tankers. Police recaptured the trucks before the students could carry out threats to blow them up. Other youths blocked railway tracks and seized a train.

About 6,000 people battled police in Taegu. Protesters attacked two police stations in Taejon and three in Pusan.

The U.S. Consulate in Pusan was closed as a precaution on the advice of police because it is in the area affected the demonstrations. Protesters often accuse the United States of keeping Chun in power with its support.

Gasoline Bombs Hurled Thousands of students battled riot police around several major universities in Seoul, pelting police with gasoline bombs and other missiles from behind their street barricades.

At Inchon, a western port, 1,200 Roman Catholics led by priests and nuns held a candlelight procession and sit-down strike in front of the city’s cathedral.

Violence was less widespread than in recent days, perhaps because tens of thousands of students attended university rallies in preparation for major protests Thursday. Students marched on campuses with flags and banners, singing protest songs.

Secretary of State George P. Shultz told reporters on a flight from Manila to Singapore: “Obviously, we believe the best thing that could happen would be for the demonstrations, with their potential for violence, to stop and the dialogue resume. We believe that discussion between the various contending parties about the structure of the election and so on should be started up and pursued.”