Protesters clash with police in Seoul over US beef imports

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-8  |     ONLINE EDITION

SOUTH Korean protesters fought with police, tried to overturn riot-control buses and smashed their windows today amid a deepening political crisis over US beef imports, hours after their president appealed to Washington for help to ease growing public anger.

A pledge from US President George Bush yesterday to address South Korean health fears over beef appeared to do little to calm the protesters' ire at South Korean President Lee Myung-bak for agreeing to an import deal.

The violence came early today after a crowd estimated by police at about 40,000 rallied yesterday night in central Seoul against the April agreement they say fails to protect against beef potentially tainted with mad cow disease.

The demonstrators attacked police riot buses lined up to barricade streets on a key downtown artery, throwing objects, using ladders to smash windows and trying to overturn the vehicles.

Clashes ensued, with protesters hitting police with sticks and police striking back with riot shields. Some demonstrators were injured and taken away in ambulances. Police also suffered injuries.

Police apprehended 11 people for questioning.

The protests followed a familiar pattern -- the main rally being largely peaceful yet turning violent as crowds thinned and remaining protesters confronted police. Violence lasted until after sunrise.

Lee's fledgling government has been battered by daily protests over the April 18 agreement to resume US beef imports -- banned for most of the past four and a half years over fears of mad cow disease.

The largest crowd yet -- which police estimated at 65,000 -- rallied Friday night.

Late yesterday, Lee's office said that Bush had pledged to come up with measures to ensure that beef from older cattle -- considered at greater risk of mad cow disease -- is not exported to South Korea.

Bush made the remark during a phone call with Lee, the Blue House said.