Massive protests broke out in South Korea’s Gyeongsangbuk province over the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Hundreds of protester came out to voice their anger against deployment anti-missile defense system in the area. Dozens of protesters were injured in clashes with police as they protest against the installation. The standoff occurred near the future site of the rocket launchers at the US base in Seongju, some 300 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of the capital.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in initially refused to deploy the THAAD system due to lack of support among the public over such installation but changed his stance after North Korea tested several ballistic missiles and one hydrogen bomb in the past two weeks. Despite the protests, four additional interceptor launchers arrived at the base early Thursday, several hours after police quashed the unrest. The launchers were transported to the site by US military vehicles from the Osan Air Base near Seoul.

The protest was triggered by an announcement by the South Korean defense ministry on Wednesday that the THAAD batteries will be installed as soon as Thursday. Designed to protect South Korean and American troops from the unpredictable Northern neighbor, THAAD’s deployment has been sped up because of the growing threat from Pyongyang, especially after those tests in the past week. The decision came despite long-standing protests of villagers and political activists, who fear the deployment will further escalate the crisis on the peninsula and make their town a primary target for the North’s attacks.