S. Korea Students Protest Peacefully Against Olympics
Radical students burned an effigy of President Roh Tae Woo on Sunday and accused the South Korean government of staging the Olympic Games to strengthen military rule.
The demonstrations at Seoul’s Yonsei University were peaceful, and there were no reports of arrests or injuries, in contrast to the violent clashes with police Friday and Saturday.
“Oppose the half Olympics!” shouted about 350 students, referring to North Korea’s boycott of the Sept. 17-Oct. 2 Olympics in Seoul after its demand to be a co-host for the Games was denied.
The protesters chanted, “Yankee go home!” as they marched to the front gate of the university.
The students charge that the United States is helping the Roh government to use the Olympics to strengthen what they say is dictatorial rule.
“We do not oppose the Olympics itself,” said one student. “But the Olympics is staged by a military government for propaganda purposes.”
Several thousand police armed with tear gas and other riot-control weapons watched the demonstrations from across the busy street in front of the university. The government has ordered police to avoid using tear gas during the Olympics.
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