South Korea: Policing the Candlelight Protests in South Korea

South Korea: Policing the Candlelight Protests in South Korea

Candlelight protests in central Seoul against the resumption of US beef imports began on 2 May 2008 and continued for more than two months. The protests were for the most part peaceful but there were sporadic incidents of violence. Amnesty International monitored the policing of the protests and this report considers the areas of concern identified by the organization: unnecessary or excessive use of police force, including the misuse of police and security equipment during the protests; arbitrary arrest and detention; a lack of adequate training of the police; and a lack of police accountability.