PPP to push for ban on overnight rallies

By Kang Jae-eun

SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The ruling People Power Party (PPP) is pushing for a ban on overnight rallies, the party's chief policymaker said Monday, after last week's overnight rally in central Seoul caused a string of complaints over traffic congestion, noise and other inconveniences.

Rep. Park Dae-chul said the party will seek to revise the Assembly and Demonstration Act to ban rallies from midnight to 6 a.m.

"We will swiftly push for a revision to ensure people no longer experience inconvenience from excessive rallies and protests. We request the Democratic Party for their active cooperation," Park said at the party's Supreme Council meeting.

Last week, around 25,000 members of a construction workers' union camped out on the streets in central Seoul in an overnight rally protesting the government's labor policies, causing massive traffic congestion and some 80 noise complaints filed with the police.

The PPP also plans to tighten control of noise from demonstrations by either lowering the permissible noise level or reducing the number of noise measurements that are required of police to conduct before taking forceful measures.

The party also plans to legislate a clause exempting police officers from responsibility for their actions carried out to respond to unsightly behavior during rallies, such as sleeping out in the open, drinking alcohol in public or urinating on the streets.

fairydust@yna.co.kr
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