Students hurled more than 100 firebombs at riot police on Saturday during a march by thousands of South Koreans protesting layoffs stemming from President Kim Dae-Jung's corporate restructuring program. The clash came days after Kim warned that his government would deal sternly with violent protesters. With frustrations mounting over the layoffs, protests have become more violent in recent weeks, with workers hurling firebombs at riot police. In Saturday’s clash, 50 students, wearing masks to hide their identities, hurled the firebombs when they were blocked from marching out of Yonsei University in western Seoul. Police armed with shields and helmets dodged the crudely made missiles of beer bottles filled with gasoline. The night sky over the deserted street glowed as the firebombs exploded into orange flames. In a separate clash earlier on Saturday, at least three protesters were seen bleeding from the face after they were bashed by police batons. A dozen more were hauled off for questioning. It erupted at a large intersection in central Seoul when police blocked 5,000 laid-off workers, students and labor activists from marching on the presidential blue house several blocks away.
Hundreds of protesters threw rocks, exchanged punches and kicks with police. Some ripped up flowers and dirt from the ground and hurled them at police. Riot police fought back with batons and shields. Bureau Report