Seoul: Disability rights activists were forcibly taken out of a Seoul subway station on Tuesday before staging a “subway-riding” protest for the second consecutive day.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the activists, who are part of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD), had planned to commence their protest at 8 a.m. at Hyehwa Station on Subway Line 4. Their demands included an increased budget for disabled people and improved mobility rights.

Seoul Metro, however, intervened by blocking the activists, citing the railway safety law, and requested their removal from the premises. When the activists refused to comply, Seoul Metro’s subway security officers forcibly removed them from the station at 8:16 a.m., leading to shouting matches and physical clashes during the eviction.

Despite the forced removal, some activists continued their rally at a different location near Seoul National University Hospital. Lee Hyung-sook, a co-leader of the group, expressed her intention to file a complaint against Seoul Metro, reporting injuries to her shoulders and damage to her wheelchair during the altercation.

The previous day, wheelchair-bound SADD activists had repeatedly boarded and disembarked trains, or deliberately boarded trains slowly, at the same station, causing disruptions to train operations during the morning rush hours. In response, the Seoul city government warned of “stern measures” against illegal activities and announced plans to file a criminal complaint for business obstruction and a damages suit against the activist group.