[Yonhap Photo]
South Korean police set up a barricade with buses to conceal a rally by activists opposing a state visit by U.S. President Donald Trump as his motorcade passed by the scene of anti-government candle-lit protests against a jailed conservative ex-president.
The temporary barricade was erected when dozens of people occupied the sidewalk across a plaza, not far away from the presidential Blue House, for a rally led by a large placard reading "No Trump. No THAAD!". The plaza was the site of candle-lit rallies that led to the fall of ex-president Park Geun-hye jailed for her role in a corruption scandal.
"We oppose Trump's visit," shouted the protesters after riot police stopped their attempt to march down to a nearby street. They called for the withdrawal of an American missile shield called "THAAD" from South Korea.
[Yonhap Photo]
Across the plaza which was tightly guarded by riot police and sealed off with iron fences, hundreds of conservative activists waved American and South Korean flags to welcome Trump.
A similar scene was witnessed in other areas when Trump arrived for talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
[Yonhap Photo]
Liberal groups, which supported Moon in a presidential election in May, held scattered rallies with placards with slogans such as "No Trump. No war!". They accused the American leader of heightening military tensions on the Korean peninsula and blasted his trade pressure.
A far bigger number of conservative activists and veterans took to the streets for rallies hailing Trump's visit and supporting the alliance between Seoul and Washinton. They urged Trump to take strong steps against North Korea.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
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