A weekend demonstration to mourn the victims of Sewol ferry sinking culminated in an intense clash between the demonstrators and the law-enforcement authorities, prompting criticism from Amnesty International and the opposition party.

The police condemned the protest as “illegal and violent,” vowing to clamp down on those that “egged on” the confrontation.

On Saturday, two days after the first anniversary of the Sewol ferry sinking, families of the victims and their supporters gathered in downtown Seoul to call for the government to salvage the ship and conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the sinking.

A total of about 10,000 people protested at Gwanghwamun Square, a place where demonstrations have been taking place on-and-off since the ferry sinking. They clashed with the police as they were attempting to march toward Cheong Wa Dae. 

The police used water cannons and pepper spray to push the protesters away from the police line. In response, some protestors damaged police buses and tore away police protective gear. A total of 100 protestors were taken into custody for police investigation.

Police said Sunday 74 of its men were injured. Reports said nine of the bereaved families and activists were hurt during the clash.

The police came under fire for infringing upon the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Amnesty International called the police action an “unnecessary use of force” and that it constituted “an insult to the victims and a violation of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” in a press release on Friday.

“The clampdown against an overwhelming peaceful protest is totally unjustified, unnecessary and an insult to both the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy and their families,” said Arnold Fang, East Asia Researcher at Amnesty International.

The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy jumped into the criticism, comparing the police’s decision to take 100 protestors into custody to actions taken during the authoritarian military regime in South Korea in the 1970s.

“We are frustrated with the demise of civil rights and democratic values in Korea. We urge the police to release those taken into custody, including relatives of the victims of the ferry sinking and average citizens,” said NPAD Spokesperson Kim Sung-soo.

Police held a press briefing on Sunday and said all those who violated the law will be punished.

For this, they will set up an investigative headquarters at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and create special teams for the probe at 15 other district police agencies.

“A number of officers were hurt while police equipment and buses were damaged,” the police said, adding that they would seek compensation from the rally’s organizer.

The Sewol ferry sank on April 16, 2014, leaving 295 dead and nine missing. Since then, families of the victims have been criticizing the government for mishandling the tragedy and calling for a thorough investigation into the causes of the incident.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)