제목   |  Protesters assault district police chief 작성일   |  2011-11-28 조회수   |  2978

 

Protesters assault district police chief

 


Jongno Police Station chief Park Geon-chan, in red circle in the top photo, is surrounded by protesters during a rally at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul against the free trade deal with the U.S., Saturday. In the middle photo, a scuffle takes place between demonstrators and police officers including Park, and he claimed demonstrators beat him. In the bottom photo, Park is led to safety by plainclothes officers. / Yonhap
By Kim Rahn

The head of Jongno Police Station was allegedly assaulted by protesters in a rally held in central Seoul against the free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, Saturday.

The violent act took place during the the large-scale demonstration with thousands of participants at Gwanghwamun Square for the fifth consecutive day since the ruling Grand National Party railroaded the free trade deal last Tuesday.

Park Geon-chan, head of the Jongno precinct, said he took the beatings from some demonstrators.

At around 9:30 p.m., Park approached the demonstrators and was surrounded by about 100 of them. Park claimed they punched him in the face and kicked him. Police said the assaulters took his hat off, tore the badge denoting rank from the left shoulder of his uniform and broke his glasses.

Park said he was attempting to talk with opposition party leaders who were participating in the protest. Some plainclothes officers escorted him to a nearby police branch office.

“I feel devastated that I was attacked while trying to stop the illegal behavior. Those who committed acts of violence and other misdemeanors will face punishment,” Park told reporters after the incident.

Asked why he went into the crowd in his full uniform, he said, “I was trying to do my job as the head of the police station in charge of the area. There is no reason not to wear it because it was a proper police activity. I didn’t expect such an attack.”

The National Police Agency said it will arrest the attackers and penalize the rally organizers, pledging sterner responses.

But the organizers said the police chief didn’t arrange talks in advance, adding there was pushing but he was not struck. A demonstrator later said on his blog, “He had no injuries to his face at all. He even had a media briefing right after the ‘attack.’ If he was seriously hurt as he claims, he should have gone to hospital first instead of holding the briefing.”

Meanwhile, anti-FTA rallies took place across the country Saturday. In Seoul, thousands of citizens, civic and labor group members and opposition party members gathered in front of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul at around 6 p.m., demanding the ratification be invalidated.

They tried to march to Cheong Wa Dae but were stopped by police and proceeded to occupy Gwanghwamun Square. It was the first time a large-scale demonstration has been held there since the square’s opening in August 2009.

The protest caused traffic chaos in the downtown area with streets around the square blocked. The protesters voluntarily dispersed at 10:30 p.m., with police taking 21 of them into custody.

The protest will resume Monday, with President Lee Myung-bak planning to sign the FTA Tuesday.

 









계급장 뜯기고 안경 부러져..얼굴ㆍ팔 다쳐
경찰 "폭행가담자ㆍ시위 주최자 엄중 사법처리"


26일 오후 광화문 일대에서 벌어진 한미 자유무역협정(FTA) 비준 무효화 요구 집회 과정에서 종로경찰서장이 시위대로부터 폭행을 당했다.

26일 종로경찰서 등에 따르면 이날 오후 9시 30분께 박건찬 종로경찰서장이 광화문 동화면세점 앞에서 시위대 100여명에 둘러싸여 얼굴 부위를 여러 차례 주먹으로 맞고 발길질을 당했다.

시위대 일부는 박 서장 정복의 왼쪽 어깨 계급장을 뜯어냈고 이 과정에서 박 서장의 정복 모자가 벗겨지고 안경도 벗겨져 부러졌다.

이후 박 서장은 사복 경찰 여러 명이 둘러싼 가운데 동화면세점 옆 세종로파출소 교통정보센터로 몸을 피했다. 얼굴과 팔 등을 다친 박 서장은 강북삼성병원 응급실에서 치료를 받았다.

사건 직후 교통정보센터에서 기자들을 만난 박 서장은 "시위대열 선두에 있던 야 5당 대표와 면담하려고 다가가다 갑자기 몰려든 시위대에 휩쓸렸다"고 설명했다.

박 서장은 "묵과할 수 없는 불법행위를 종결하려고 접근하다 폭행을 당해 참담한 심정을 금할 수 없다"며 "불법행위에 대해서는 사법절차에 따라 필벌할 것"이라고 말했다.

정복을 입고 시위대 안으로 들어간 이유를 묻자 "관할서장으로서 직분을 다하고자 한 일이자 정당한 경찰활동으로서 제복을 입지 않을 이유가 없다"며 "이 같은 폭력은 예상하지 못했다"고 말했다.

경찰청은 이날 집회가 마무리된 후 보도자료를 내고 "채증자료를 바탕으로 폭력 행위 가담자를 밝혀내 구속 수사하며, 집회 주최자에 대해 엄중 처벌하겠다. 피해를 입은 경찰관은 민사상 손해배상도 청구할 계획이다"라고 밝혔다.

경찰 관계자는 "FTA 반대집회가 도로를 점거하는 등 불법으로 변질되고 서장을 폭행하는 사건까지 발생함에 따라 불법 행위자는 현장에서 검거하는 등 엄정 대응할 방침"이라고 밝혔다.

한편 일부 시위대는 박 서장이 간담회를 열어 상황을 설명하는 도중에 교통정보센터 정문을 두드리며 '겁쟁이', '매국노'라고 비난하기도 했다. (연합)

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr

 



 
 

 

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