The statue of an unsmiling girl symbolizing former sex slaves forced to serve Japanese soldiers during the war stands in front of the Japanese Embassy, where victims and their supporters have held protests every Wednesday for decades.
It was the first time in about six years that the barricade installed for safety concerns was removed, as police decided to do so during the protesters' gathering hours.
Marking the 1,000th weekly protest, the statue was first erected on Dec. 14, 2011, with more statues set up in South Korea and overseas including the one in Glendale, California to spread awareness of Japan's wartime atrocities.
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