25개의 게시물을 찾았습니다.
Yesterday's anti-Bush/LMB protest night:
- 24,000 riot cops
- 10,000 protesters, according to the organizers (*)
- at least 155 were arrested..
* 2,700 according to SMP and 7,000 according to Tong-il News..
Related reports:
Int'l Solidarity With KCTU
LabourStart ("Where trade unionists start their day on the net") yesterday afternoon launched "what might be the most important online campaign we've ever done". In a letter to all LabourStart correspondents they explained:
"As you may know, the South Korean government has launched a brutal
assault on that country's trade union movement. Arrest warrants have
been issued for the leaders of the Korean Confederation of Trade
Unions (KCTU) including their president and general secretary.
Leaders of other unions have also been threatened with arrest. The
KCTU's vice president has been jailed. The union leaders are holed up
inside the union headquarters, the building surrounded by police.
They have asked for our help.
This afternoon, we launched a major new LabourStart campaign which is
in the process of being translated right now. We hope to have it
running in no fewer than ten languages."
And in less than 24 hours already more than 2,100 people supported the English version of the campaign (it's now working in six languages - English, French, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian and Italian)!
If you want to support the campaign, go to:
☞ Act NOW!
Korea: Stop arrests of trade union leaders
Following a massive wave of protests and demonstrations, on 24 July the South Korean government issued arrest warrants for top leaders of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) including Lee Suk-haeng (President) and Lee Yong-shik (General Secretary). Ms. Jin Young-ok, First Vice-President of the KCTU has been arrested and detained.
The police surrounded the building where the main office of the KCTU is located, ready to move in and arrest the leaders. Arrest warrants have also been issued for other union leaders (see list below).
This anti-union repression threatens to return Korea to the dark days of the military dictatorship which ended two decades ago. Korean trade unionists are asking for a huge international campaign to pressure their government to respect human rights.
List of other trade union leaders for whom arrest warrants have been issued:
Jung Gab-deuk, President, KMWU
Nam Taek-gyu, First Vice-president, KMWU
Yoon Hae-mo, President, Hyundai Motor Branch
Kim Tae-gon, First Vice-president, Hyundai Motor Branch
Kim Jong-il, Vice-president, Hyundai Motor Branch
Jung Chang-bong, Vice-president, Hyundai Motor Branch
Joo In-koo, Vice-president, Hyundai Motor Branch
Jo Chang-min, Secretary,Hyundai Motor Branch
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=402
Related:
☞ KCTU's call for int'l solidarity
☞ More Attacks Against KCTU - Protests Are Continuing
Well, tomorrow's evening/night protest against G. W. Bush's visit in Seoul in particular and the LMB gov't in general may be a very special "event":
The organizers of the anti-Bush/anti-gov't protest are expecting "at least 10,000 demonstrators". The first rally, organized by the anti-war movement, starts at 5:30 pm in front of Boshin-gak. Later at 7:00 pm the main anti-Bush event will be opened at Cheonggyecheon Plaza with a "Candlelight Culture Festival"...
According to K. Herald at least 16,000 riot cops will be mobilized to "prevent every illegal demonstration" (i.e. likely to suppress almost all protests)!
Already last Friday Yonhap reported that the riot cops will use "pepper spray and other tear-producing chemical agents to quell violent rallies, Seoul's police chief warned a few days ahead of U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to South Korea". They will also use "fluorescent-colored water cannons so that violent protesters can be easily picked out of the crowd by their stained clothing."
So it seems that tomorrow night for the fist time the new established riot police unit will also have its first "public performance"!
And additionally, according to K. Times, "a coalition comprised of 374 conservative groups, including the New Right Union and Korean Veterans Association, will stage a large-scale demonstration welcoming Bush, at Seoul Plaza, just a short distance from the progressive's rally site.
They will hold a prayer meeting organized by the Christian Council of Korea at 4 p.m., which will then be followed by the welcoming gathering. The coalition expects 50,000 participants at the prayer meeting, and 200,000 at the gathering."
*****
About y'day's anti-GWB/MB K. Herald and K. Times "reported" only in few words. Well, according to S.K. "independent" sources - such as NewsCham, VoP.. - at most 5000 people participated in the protest, because it was (likely) just a "rehearsal" for coming Tuesday's mass demo against Bush (GWB) who will visit Lee Myung-bak (MB) - his new friend in the S.K. presidential office.
But as we could see in the comments to K. Times' "report" about y'day's protest Scott B. - once again - became an eye-witness and (likely) very angry...
So he commented: "Since the reporter wasn't there, there is no mention of how the protesters attacked a normal citizen in Myong-dong who disagreed with them, an increasingly disturbing pattern amongst these lunatics. They also blocked the main road in front of Myong-dong Station for an hour, causing great inconvenience for buses and regular motorists. Why can't these people just protest at Ch'onggye Plaza, instead of blocking roads every weekend? Is this BS going to happen for the next 4.5 years?"
And he wrote an own, really impressive(^^) report about last night's events. And - surprise, surprise!! - his report isn't positive, not really:
☞ Another Saturday Night in Chongno Redux
Very "impressive" here: the part where he turned from a observer to an "activist", by calling the cops ("..I'm going to have to go complain to the police," and immediately walked over to one of the traffic police in the street..)!!
But Scott B's (strange) reports are actually nothing against some "pieces of advice" for the S.K. police ("A. SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGES TO POLICE OPERATIONS"), included in following contributions/"analyses" by ROK Drop:
☞ Predictions for Future Protests (Part I)
☞ Predictions for Future Protests (Part II)
☞ Predictions for Future Protests (Part III)
Well, even it's really hard stuff (f.. long articles) you MUST READ it, to "enjoy" it!!
CHEERS!!
최근 덧글 목록