Wheelchair activists’ bus protest disrupts commutes near Gwanghwamun

Commuters near Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, were forced to seek alternative transportation Friday, as Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination staged a boarding protest at nearby bus stops.

At around 8:10 a.m., some 20 activists in wheelchairs attempted to board buses at stops along Sejong-daero near the Gwanghwamun intersection bound for Seodaemun-gu.

Police deployed mobile units to block the activists and issued warning broadcasts saying the protest could constitute obstruction of traffic. Officers then physically removed them from the area.

Some activists resisted, leading to physical clashes with police.

Some buses were forced to reverse, and all four lanes heading toward Seodaemun-gu were temporarily blocked, causing severe traffic congestion.

Some activists then occupied the median bus lane toward Gwanghwamun in front of the Seoul Museum of History from 8:35 a.m. Police rerouted buses to general traffic lanes, adding to the congestion.

The disability rights advocacy group said the protest was a form of guerilla activism calling for the enactment of what it described as the National Assembly’s first proposed bill guaranteeing mobility rights for the transportation disadvantaged.

“Disabled people cannot use discriminatory buses,” said Lee Hyung-sook, one of SADD’s standing co-chairs. “We decided to take direct action so that low-floor buses can actually be implemented.”

Affected commuters complained of inconvenience.

"I had to get off and walk three stops to work," said a commuter surnamed Son. "I don't feel any empathy for them whatever."

"I understand why they are protesting, but do they really have to take it out on us commuters?" said another passerby, surnamed Kim.

After police ordered the activists to disperse, SADD moved to Cheong Wa Dae at around 10 a.m., where the group read out a series of policy demands, including a demand concerning sexual assault cases that victimized the disabled at Saekdongwon in Incheon and for the enactment of a series of bills aimed at guaranteeing disability rights.

Founded in 2007, SADD has led protests calling for improved mobility rights for people with disabilities and for greater budget support for deinstitutionalization. The group has drawn criticism for tactics such as occupying roads and public spaces and staging mass boarding protests on buses and subways that disrupt service and inconvenience other commuters.

Meanwhile, Friday’s rally began Thursday evening, when about 100 protesters gathered at Gwanghwamun Square for a memorial ceremony for disabled activists.

They then launched a sit-in protest, camping out overnight at the square.

The group had initially planned to set up camp in front of a private facility for children with intellectual disabilities near Cheong Wa Dae, but police blocked the move, citing the planned installation of tents on private property. The two sides faced off for about an hour and a half.

As the protesters moved toward Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday, police restricted their use of major roads after 5 p.m. on Thursday and issued three dispersal orders. In response, Lee and Park Kyung-seok, another standing co-chair of SADD, laid down on the road in protest before being forcibly removed by police.

Police later blocked both sides of the road with police buses and restricted movement in the area.

The group said deinstitutionalization is the only solution to human rights abuses inside residential facilities for the disabled and argued that meaningful government action and budget support are essential to help people with disabilities live as members of the community.

The group also argued that April 20, currently observed as Disabled Persons’ Day, should be renamed the Day for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, contending that the current name confines disabled people within a framework of pity and charity.