2,900 Held in S. Korea Clash
Students and workers fought riot police with firebombs and rocks in downtown Seoul on Sunday after riot police blocked a rally called by labor and dissident groups to mark May Day. More than 2,900 people were arrested.
In scattered clashes, bands of protesters battled the 20,000 police deployed to block the rally, called on the eve of the international labor holiday. Police officials reported dozens of injuries.
In Inchon, west of Seoul, and in southeastern Kwangju, protesters also fought police.
Police had no overall figures on the number of protesters in Seoul, but it appeared below 10,000.
The worst fighting raged for about four hours around Yonsei University, when about 2,000 students and workers tried to march past 5,000 riot police surrounding the campus.
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