Thousands of protesters, who opposed U.S. beef imports into South Korea, clashed violently with riot police in downtown Seoul until early Sunday morning, leaving over 100 people injured.

In the first weekend rally after Seoul implemented its agreement with Washington to resume U.S. beef imports, about 15,000 protesters gathered around Seoul City Hall Saturday night and marched towards the presidential office, Yonhap news agency reported.

Confronted with a barricade of police buses, the protesters -- mostly members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, a labor umbrella group, and other hard-line and liberal civic organizations -- offered stubborn resistance. Demonstrators hurled rocks, plastic bottles and other miscellaneous objects towards riot police.

As the number of protesters was reduced to around 3,000 amid drizzling rain in the early hours of Sunday morning, police initiated a heavy-handed crackdown to disperse crowds occupying major streets of downtown Seoul.

Riot police fired water cannons and sprayed fire extinguishers, and were seen wielding plastic shields and night sticks against the protesters in scuffles. Some demonstrators retaliated by destroying police buses and firing water from street hydrants towards the police.

As a result of the hours-long confrontation, about 30 riot policemen and an estimated 100 protesters were injured, with many of them sent to nearby hospitals. The clash was the most violent since the protest rallies began about 50 days ago, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

The police agency said it detained about 60 demonstrators accused of using excessive violence against riot police.

The police have shifted to a tougher stance after President Lee Myung-bak, Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and ruling party leaders declared that they would not tolerate violent and illegal street demonstrations.

Several opposition party lawmakers again attempted to act as a buffer against the violent clash, standing at the forefront of the protesters.

Organizers vowed to continue their daily candlelight protest rally on Sunday evening to pressure the government to completely give up the U.S. beef import deal.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2008)