Parents of Schools for the Blind Block Conservative Group's March to the Blue House, Saying "We Will Protect with Our Bodies"

Parents Lie Down on Jahamun-ro Lane Near Gyeongbokgung Station Toward Cheongwadae
No Physical Clashes Due to Police Intervention... Standoff Ends in 15 Minutes

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Parents of the Seoul School for the Blind suddenly occupied the road, blocking a conservative group’s march toward the Blue House.

On the 4th at around 3:20 PM, about 10 parents and graduates of the Seoul School for the Blind, a special school for the visually impaired, sat down or lay down on two lanes of Jahamun-ro near Gyeongbokgung Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul, stopping the march for about 15 minutes.

At the time, the 'Taegukgi Revolution National Movement Headquarters,' demanding the release of former President Park Geun-hye, had just finished a rally in front of Daehanmun and was marching toward the Blue House.

The parents spread banners on the road with phrases such as "Our blind children abandoned by the state, mothers will protect them with their bodies," and "President Park Geun-hye also disliked bullying neighbors and socially vulnerable people."

Some members of the conservative group shouted insults and protested loudly at the parents, but there was no physical confrontation due to police intervention.

The police pulled the parents and students onto the sidewalk after about 15 minutes. No one was detained by the police, and fortunately, there were no serious injuries.

The Seoul School for the Blind is located about 500 meters from the Blue House Sarangchae. The students usually receive 'independent walking' training, where they learn to navigate by recognizing surrounding sounds two to three times a day. However, the parents have been demanding a ban on rallies, saying that the ongoing noise and traffic control from daily protests are disrupting the education.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.