The World - News from May 19, 1986

About 2,000 youths battled riot police in the South Korean city of Kwangju on the sixth anniversary of a student uprising there that turned into a bloody revolt against martial law. Witnesses said the crowd, prevented by ranks of police from marching on a local government office, headed for a Christian social center. Officers fired tear gas to stop them, and the demonstrators retaliated with rocks. At one point, a youth leader jumped on a memorial service podium and shouted, “Let’s execute (President) Chun Doo Hwan! Let’s put an end to U.S. and Japanese influences supporting Chun!”