SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korean labor and civic groups joined with international activists Thursday to stage protests to raise their voice against this week's G-20 summit in Seoul.
The rally ended without anyone being arrested or taken into custody, despite scuffles with the police as the protesters marched through downtown.
Organized by a confederation of 83 civic groups calling itself "Put People First! Korean People's G-20 Response Action," the rally began in front of the Seoul Station. Organizers claimed some 10,000 people showed up, but the police said it counted about 3,500.
The protest, also backed by political campaigners, college students, human rights activists and interest groups, was one of several planned in the city to coincide with the gathering of world leaders for the G-20 summit on Thursday and Friday. Heads of governments and financial chiefs along with leaders from non-G-20 nations have come to Seoul to attend the global economic forum.
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Over 3,000 riot police stood guard with water cannons and other protest-quelling equipment.
The protesters scuffled their way past the police to march through downtown, arriving an hour later at a city intersection where they burned a coffin marked as symbolizing G-20 and free trade agreements, causing another physical clash.
Protesters' demands varied from job stability, fair distribution of wealth and scrapping of free trade agreements to the withdrawal of South Korean troops from Afghanistan. Placards read, "G20, Stop making people pay for the crisis," "STOP G20," "Withdraw troops from Afghanistan" and "No FTA."
A South Korean college student, waving a picket that said "G20 chairman = Labor repression champion," told Yonhap that he was protesting against the government's excessive crackdown on migrant workers and labor unions under the guise of the G-20.
Organizers said some 100 international activists also joined Thursday's rally.
Toshsiko Sogame, 64, from Japan, was among those who flew to Seoul to join the anti-20 events.
"I'm here to raise the voice for revision of immigration laws that discriminate against foreigners," Sogame said, flying flags written in Japanese.
Street vendors, complaining of lost business from G-20 security clampdown, also joined the protest.
"Vendors live day by day. But we haven't been able to make money last month because of the G-20," said Park Yoon-gyu, 50, a vendor who sells snacks near COEX, the summit venue. "The government said the G-20 is good for the people, but that's not the case for us."
Near the highly guarded summit venue in southern Seoul, several activists staged one-man protests but were immediately whisked away by police officials.
Under a special security law on the G-20, all rallies and demonstrations are banned within a two-kilometer radius of the venue.
At around 9:30 a.m., a man showed up with a picket denouncing government policies but was forced to leave by police officials, according to a witness.
One hour later, a 38-year-old woman tried to set herself on fire but was stopped by security guards. She was taken to a nearby police station, and police officials said she appeared to have mental problems.
"As a one-person protest could interfere with the event, we are moving them out of the restricted security area in accordance with the special law," a police official said.
Jonathan Lee, 13, a Korean-American environmentalist, however, was allowed to stand for three hours near COEX with a picket sign calling for peace on the Korean Peninsula and creation of a peace forest for children.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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