The Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) blocked city buses and held protests at several spots across downtown Seoul on the morning of the 21st, causing ongoing traffic congestion.
Starting around 8 a.m. that day, SADD activists staged a protest at the bus stop in front of the Dongwha Duty Free Shop at the Sejong-daero intersection in Gwanghwamun, calling for guarantees of mobility rights.
Near Jonggak Station, they also occupied bus-only lanes to block traffic, and some climbed onto buses and unfurled banners calling for legislation to guarantee mobility rights.
SADD also occupied the road near the Gwanghwamun Station bus stop the previous day, on Disabled Persons Day, as the after-work crowd gathered. About 20 people, including activists, occupied three lanes heading from Jonggak Station toward Gwanghwamun at about 4:40 p.m. the previous day and unfurled large banners, causing congestion as vehicles detoured onto the bus-only road.
Police issued dispersal orders for the second straight day over unreported assemblies and scuffled with SADD activists. One police officer managing safety at the protest site collided with a wheelchair, felt pain in the rib area, and was taken to a hospital.
SADD is calling for the swift enactment of disability rights bills, including the Support for Deinstitutionalization of Persons with Disabilities Act and the Act on Guaranteeing Mobility Rights for Transportation-Vulnerable Persons.