Families of crowd crush victims in standoff with police over installation of memorial altar

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Bereaved families of the victims of the Itaewon crowd crush were in a standoff with police in central Seoul on Saturday as they took to the streets one day before the 100th day of the tragedy and installed a memorial altar in a public square without approval from authorities.

About 1,000 people, including about 150 family members, began to march from a memorial altar at Noksapyeong Station, near the site of the Oct. 29 accident that killed 159 people during Halloween festivities, to Sejongno Street, where they were to hold a memorial rally for the victims.

They had initially planned to hold the event at nearby Gwanghwamun Square and set up the memorial altar there. But the city government rejected the requests, and the police agency dispatched about 3,000 personnel near Gwanghwamun Square.

In the middle of the march, the families and participants abruptly set up a temporary memorial facility at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall, located in Sejongno Street.

Police briefly clashed with them while trying to block the installation. In the face of their resistance, police officers stepped back and about 70 Seoul city officials were preparing to remove the facility.

The families wore a red scarf symbolizing the grief of losing loved ones and a badge where four stars are carved to represent the victims, their families, survivors and rescuers.

A 51-year-old rallier, Lee Jeong-nyeo, said she joined the rally with her 11-year-old son over frustrations that the National Assembly has not done enough to uncover the truth of the accident.

Last month, the assembly wrapped up a 55-day parliamentary probe into the case amid criticism it fell short of expectations and was used as a tool for political fighting.

"We express deep regret toward the police and the Seoul metropolitan government for trying to block the voices of the bereaved families rather than remembering and commemorating the victims," a local civic group, Lawyers for a Democratic Society, also known as Minbyun, said in a statement.

nyway@yna.co.kr
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