First Anniversary of Sewol Ferry Disaster Ends in Violence

By John Power

April 17, 2015

http://thediplomat.com/2015/04/first-anniversary-of-sewol-ferry-disaster-ends-in-violence/

Mourners-turned-protestors clashed with police in Seoul on the first anniversary of the deadly accident. 

The first anniversary of the Sewol disaster culminated in violent clashes between surviving families and police on Thursday, as the fallout from one of South Korea’s worst peacetime disasters showed little sign of abating.

Police in Seoul used pepper spray on mourners angry at being prevented from laying flowers at a makeshift altar for the victims of last year’s ferry sinking, reported Agence France-Presse. The violence followed a mass rally for the 304 victims at Seoul City Hall.

Yoo Seong-ae, a journalist at OhmyNews who witnessed Thursday’s clashes, told The Diplomat that one grieving family member suffered several broken ribs and that a policeman was brought to hospital after fainting.

“Even people who had finished with the memorial service and were trying to take public transport home were blocked [by police], so a lot of people could be seen protesting,” she said, calling the use of tear gas and other police measures “excessive.”