Downtown traffic was temporarily jammed Wednesday as South Korean protesters opposing a trade agreement with the United States rallied the Buddhist way, bowing to the ground every three steps.
The marchers started off Market Square near the U.S. Capitol and proceeded nearly 10 blocks before the police ordered them to stop. Police officials said the march was taking too long and could no longer receive protection.
Standing in group of threes, more than 60 demonstrators were given the sidewalk and a traffic lane to march west from the Capitol. "Down with the FTA (free trade agreement)!" they chanted every time they bowed to the ground.
Flag-bearers and drummers followed at the end of the line.
Protesters passed out leaflets and pamphlets to bystanders as they went.
The protest followed a joint news conference with a group of U.S. Democrats who oppose the FTA as officials of the two countries began a third day of negotiations here.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), addressing a rally at the Cannon House building terrace, said he opposes the FTA to "adequately represent the interest of our constituents."
"This agreement will not benefit the peoples of either countries, will not benefit particularly workers and farmers but instead will only benefit large corporations," he said in a joint statement with Rep. Kang Ki-kab of South Korea.
"We will take various actions with NGOs, parliament and Congress," he said. "Both myself and Rep. Kang will seek action and joint statements from other elected officials of our respective countries (at the next found of FTA talks)."
Kang, of the Democratic Labor Party, said the path to co-existence and co-prosperity lies in "embracing the weak, the disadvantaged -- not to push them into competition."
"We will make our appeals based on this truth," he told the rally. "We will resist the FTA by letting the world know of its unfairness."
Kang flew in from Seoul with some 40 other South Koreans to stage anti-FTA demonstrations in Washington. They have been joined by American groups opposing "economic colonization" by large corporations and by Korean Americans across the U.S.
South Korean and U.S. officials began their week-long FTA talks here on Monday, opening subgroups to tackle some of the most sensitive trade issues between them. The U.S. side wants non-discriminatory market access in automobiles, agriculture and pharmaceuticals, while the South Korean side is pushing long phase-in periods and seeking tariff reductions on some of American markets, including textiles and shoes.
Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas), Bernie Sanders (Independent-Vermont) and John Conyers (D-Michigan) have joined Kucinich in opposing the Korea-U.S. FTA, known as KORUS FTA.
The FTAs "snuff out opportunity," Kaptur said. "Indeed, they snuff out the opportunity for free life. The support for these FTAs is narrowing and narrowing and narrowing."
Washington June 7 (Yonhap News)
U.S. Democrats join Korean protesters to oppose FTA |
