CINA

본문

Rallies Blanket Nation (K. Times)
  
Tens of thousands of anti-globalization demonstrators fought (yesterday, 11.22) with police in cities across the country, attacking pubic buildings and blockading streets in protests against a proposed free trade accord between Korea and the United States.
The rallies _ organized by unionized workers, teachers and farmers called for the government to withdraw from its talks with the U.S. _ began peacefully but turned violent in many cities, resulting in the injuries of dozens of police officers and protestors.
 

According to police, public buildings and facilities in more than 15 cities nationwide were attacked by the protestors. More than 80,000 people participated in Wednesday's rallies, including 13,000 in Seoul.
 

More than 10,000 people joined the rallies in Kwangju with some protestors wielding rocks, steel pipes, and enflamed tin cans as they attempted to advance into the city hall building. Riot police put up barricades and fought back with riot cannons, forcing the protestors to disperse.
 

During the morning hours, about 600 farmers blockaded a section of the Honam Expressway, which connects the southwest of the city with downtown, causing massive traffic disruption.
 

In Taejon, demonstrators smashed the windows of the South Chungchong Provincial Office with rocks and steel pipes, and even attempted to set the building on fire by burning trees planted nearby.
 

The largest rallies were organized in the capital city of Seoul, which added to the city's severe traffic congestion during the commuting hours, but ended without reports of violence.
 

About 13,000 people, including members of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (KTU) and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), held demonstrations in front of the Seoul Plaza, the grass square in front of Seoul City Hall.
 

About 7,000 KTU members from around the country gathered there at 1 p.m. to blast plans to introduce teacher assessments and a graded bonus system. The participants all took a day's leave from work, despite warnings that authorities will take stern measures against their ``illegal'' collective action.
 

About two hours later, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) staged a demonstration at the same place to protest the government's plan to legislate a labor reform bill.
 

The umbrella labor union said it would hold an indefinite strike until their demands are met.
 

It said about 200,000 unionists nationwide took part in a full walkout yesterday. The union said its members would stage partial strikes for four hours per day from today through next Tuesday, and full strikes again on Nov. 29 and Dec. 6.
 

The Ministry of Labor said only 56,000 workers participated in the walkout Wednesday.
 

About 3,500 unionists who gathered at the demonstration site joined another rally held there by a coalition of civic groups opposing South Korea's plan to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S.
 

From 4 p.m., the KCTU unionists and about 5,000 members of the coalition demanded the nation scrap the FTA negotiations, stop importing beef from the U.S. and increase the screen quota.
 

The coalition's regional branches also held rallies in 12 other cities nationwide with a total of 72,000 people participating.
 

The rally in downtown Seoul got bigger as some 1,500 street vendors joined it after holding a separate rally in front of Seoul Station.
 

After the rally, about 1,000 participants marched from the plaza to Chongno and held a candlelight vigil at the Chonggye Plaza. The coalition previously planned 5,000 members for the march, but reduced the number as police refused to allow the larger group to march. The union is also planning rallies for Nov. 29 and Dec. 6.
 

Police mobilized 7,700 riot control officers to maintain order, but failed to prevent traffic jams in the city center.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200611/kt2006112217570710510.htm 

Actually, according to some S.K. independent/progressive media all across the country between 100,000 and 150,000 people - workers, farmers, street vendors, student activists... - took the streets.

But the "left-liberal" daily Honkyoreh is writing following:

Turnout low for nationwide labor demonstrations

C. Sheehan (U.S. "anti-war activist") on the rally in Seoul

Following you can read more reports in English by (bourgeois) S.K. newspapers:

Defiant unions stage mass rallies (Korea Herald)

Even street vendors shun FTA (JoongAng Ilbo)

Korea Sees Worst Labor Protests in Years (Chosun Ilbo)

Some trouble...

A (nearly) complete coverage, incl. many pictures, but "only" in Korean, about all rallies and demonstrations, held all across S.K. you can find on Voice of People (VoP):

http://www.voiceofpeople.org/new/index.html

A collection of photos (by VoP) you can see here:

[포토]전국에서 타오른 민중의 분노 

...in the province.. (source of the pics: VoP)

"Photo News slide show":

성난 농심, 전국 곳곳서 폭발 (OhmyNews)

Uprising in..

Gwangju..

..and Daejeon (Source: OhmyNews)

"Public buildings and facilities in more than 15 cities

nationwide were attacked by the protestors" (K. Times)

BTW.. already eight days ago K. Times wrote about the then planned demos/rallies, actually took place y'day: "..sources forecast the scale of the protest to be massive enough to rival the ``June Protest’’ against the then-military dictatorship in 1987."

And it was, perhaps, just the beginning: According to the organizers of y'day's demos the same will be happen at least next Wednesday and on Dec. 6! (*)

UPRISING/REVOLUTION

UNTIL VICTORY!!

투쟁!(**)

* For this case S.K. bourgeois, i.e. the reactionary, newspapers (11.24 editions) are reporting following:

Police to Block Anti-FTA Rallies (K. Times)

Police chief orders ban on anti-FTA protests (K. Herald)

Seoul considers flat ban on anti-trade protests (JoongAng Ilbo)

** ^^