Ten injured in protest near U.S. military base

Demonstrators gathered at Daechu Elementary School near Camp Humphreys yesterday morning, then marched to the base, where they clashed with police. Nine student activists and a riot policeman were injured.

Police also took action yesterday against suspected organizers of a large protest last month near the base, in which 100 people were injured. Arrest warrants were issued for four high-profile activists, including Father Mun Jeong-hyeon, a Catholic priest at the forefront of the anti-U.S. military movement.

Protesters marched parallel to the iron fence encircling the camp, sending paper planes into the air marked with the word "Warning."
"We are determined not to let the occupation of U.S. forces extend beyond 60 years and will restore the home of Pyeongtaek residents and use any means necessary to prevent the relocation (of troops) to the Pyeongtaek base," said Kim Ji-ha, one of the activists' representatives.

Several of the protestors, around 600 of whom were students from the outlawed Hanchongnyeon, or the Federation of Korean University Student Councils, were injured during a brief clash with riot police.

Police authorities said about 6,000 personnel were mobilized to block the protest. Such outbursts of local anger against the U.S. military have become increasingly visible in recent years, as residents of cities where troops are based muster their forces to demonstrate their right to live there.