Protests in front of Yoon's residence turn unruly after arrest warrant issued

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Protests in front of Yoon's residence turn unruly after arrest warrant issued

Published: 31 Dec. 2024, 17:58 Updated: 31 Dec. 2024, 18:02

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol hold a rally on the main road through Hannam-dong in Yongsan District, central Seoul, after the Seoul Western District Court approved a warrant for his arrest on Dec. 31. [NEWS1]

Chaotic scenes unfolded in front of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s official residence in Seoul on Tuesday after a court approved a warrant for his arrest in connection with his short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3.

The pandemonium reached fever pitch around 11 a.m. as some protesters who had gathered to show support for the president threw themselves on the asphalt to block a police bus they mistook for a force sent to execute the arrest warrant.

Although the large road that runs through Hannam-dong in Yongsan District, central Seoul, and the small side street that leads directly to the presidential residence have seen dueling protests for and against Yoon since his impeachment on Dec. 14, the mayhem on Tuesday surpassed the turmoil of previous gatherings.

Signs of potential disorder were afoot early in the morning, when approximately 40 protesters calling for Yoon’s arrest gathered in front of the presidential residence at the same time that an almost equal number of people assembled and shouted similar slogans targeting Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, Yoon’s main political rival.

Although police officers lined up to separate the dueling protesters along opposite sides of the small street, the president’s supporters crossed police lines on multiple occasions to heckle his detractors.

By the time Yoon’s arrest warrant had been issued, approximately 300 people had gathered to demonstrate their support for the president, forcing police to close off a lane on the main road to accommodate the growing numbers.

When police sent a bus of reinforcements to help manage the mounting chaos in the small street, supporters of Yoon thought it was carrying a team of officers to take the president into custody, leading some of them to lie down in the vehicle’s path.

Some assaulted officers who tried to force them off the asphalt, leading to warnings from local police officials that pushing or hitting an officer is a criminal offense.

The protesters only got off the ground after police promised to move the bus to a side street.

At a rally in the afternoon, which took place on the main road, Yoon’s supporters vowed to gather in greater numbers to forestall his arrest and demonstrate their opposition to his impeachment.

The lane closures to accommodate the rally caused traffic to bottle up down by the Hannam Bridge.

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]