Student Demonstration Becomes Street Battle

Raising fears of escalating unrest before parliamentary elections, students waged street battles with police in Seoul on Saturday for the second time this week.

Angered by the death of a student during a massive anti-government demonstration Friday, thousands of students again took to the streets, undeterred by the presence of as many riot police.

“Down with (President) Kim Young-sam!” about 4,000 students chanted as they marched out of a Seoul campus. “Down with the murderous regime!” Some beat gongs and drums, or banged steel pipes on the wet pavement.

Running battles broke out after riot police checked the slow march a block away and pushed it back toward the campus.