MADRID, 5 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Itaewon, in Seoul, this Saturday to remember the victims of the human avalanche that cost the lives of at least 156 people on October 29 at a Halloween party and to protest against the authorities , which they hold responsible for the tragedy.
The attendees have marched with candles and black banners to concentrate on the vigils convened in seven parts of the city, reports the BBC.
The authorities have announced an investigation into what happened and municipal offices, police stations and fire stations have been registered. The National Police and President Yoon Suk Yeol have apologized for what happened and have promised to improve security measures for future occasions.
However, this response has not been enough for a population outraged by what happened. The event with the most follow-up has been the one called together with the City Council by Acción de Velas, a coalition of progressive organizations that had already called protests against President Yoon even before the Itaewon tragedy.
Tens of thousands of people have lined the streets with black banners bearing slogans like “Resignation is an expression of condolences” aimed directly at Yoon.
The speakers have taken the stage to criticize the Government accompanied by songs of mourning and prayers of Buddhist monks. “The Government has an obvious responsibility, but it looks for those responsible among irrelevant organizations (…). The Government did not fulfill its main function,” one of the speakers reproached. “Resign Yoon Suk Yeol government! Resign Yoon Suk Yeol government!” the crowd shouted in response.
Some 200 people summoned by political parties have gathered at the accident site and have displayed banners with slogans such as “At 6:34 p.m. the country was not there,” referring to the time of the first call received by the emergency service, hours before the avalanche.
After a minute of silence, they marched through the alley of tragedy carrying chrysanthemums, the flower of mourning in Korean culture. “We could have saved the victims. The Government must recognize its responsibility,” read one of the banners.
