Thousands of Rioters Battle Seoul Police : South Korea: 900 arrested as protests over Roh’s regime rock dozens of cities. Protesters set fire to U.S. building.

Tens of thousands of students, dissidents and radicals battled riot police in more than a dozen cities today to demand the ouster of President Roh Tae Woo. Police arrested more than 900 people.

In downtown Seoul, students hurled rocks and firebombs in the most violent anti-government protests in the capital since 1987. Dozens of police and protesters suffered injuries, some serious, but no figures were available.

Protesters set fire to a U.S. diplomatic building, firebombed a police bus, truck and jeep, occupied the front of one of the capital’s luxury hotels and took control of a fashionable downtown shopping area for more than three hours.

Violence erupted as the newly created Democratic Liberal Party held its inaugural convention. Radicals and dissidents claim the gigantic party, a merger of three political groups, will lead to dictatorship.

Roh’s party is declining in popularity as inflation rises and costs soar, but many Koreans do not support radicals who espouse violence.

“Yankee go home!” screamed thousands of students hurling firebombs and rocks. “Down with Roh Tae Woo!”

At the height of the fighting, about 15,000 students rampaged through an area two or three miles wide from the Seoul railway station to Dondaemun market, the country’s largest wholesale market.

Protesters ripped up sidewalks and metal grating to make missiles. Street signs were taken apart to use as weapons against police wearing tear-gas masks and armed with truncheons and shields.

Clouds of choking tear gas billowed over the center of this capital city of 10 million people, sending office workers and shopkeepers racing for cover at the evening rush hour, holding their mouths and noses to keep out the acrid gas.

Thousands of riot police in the city center appeared to be taken by surprise as throngs of 300 to 2,000 radical students dashed along sidewalks to occupy main downtown shopping streets.

Screaming protesters overpowered at least two groups of 200 to 300 riot police and seized their helmets, clubs, shields and other items. Students forced dozens of police to kneel with their hands behind their backs and shouted insults, kicking and beating them with fists and clubs.

“Disband the DLP!” students yelled repeatedly.

After nightfall, about 3,000 students occupied a block around the U.S. Information Service center for two hours before being driven back by volleys of tear gas fired from black armored police vans.