SEOUL– A disability advocacy group staged a rush-hour subway protest in Seoul on Tuesday, but there were no major disruptions to subway services as they did not use the tactic of delaying train operations by repeatedly boarding them.
The Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) held a news conference at Samgakji Station near the presidential office, calling for an increased government budget to protect the rights of people with disabilities. About 10 members, including leader Park Kyoung-seok, continued their campaign in trains.
SADD has staged subway protests since late last year, with wheelchair-bound activists repeatedly boarding and disembarking trains to cause delays in metro services during the morning rush hour.
They had threatened to stage such demonstrations at the station at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. from Monday to Thursday.
But they refrained from the tactic Tuesday morning, after the Seoul metropolitan government decided the previous day to have trains pass through the station without stopping if their protest causes major delays.
“We have held subway-riding protests 47 times since Dec. 3 last year. We ask for the passage of the budget for the rights of people with disabilities so that we will not stage such protests anymore,” Park said during the news conference.
He said they will continue such demonstrations at the station until Thursday.
The group will carry out another subway-boarding protest on Jan. 2 if its demands are not met, he added.
Source: Yonhap News Agency