CINA

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11.29, 2nd Central Protest Day

While yesterday "Police said .. (that) they have sought arrest warrants for 42 farm leaders in connection with violent street demonstrations last week..." (Yonhap) the "entire" S.K. anti-capitalist movement is preparing for today's 2nd central protest day against the U.S.-ROK FTA.

But also the S.K. national suppression machinery, i.e. nearly all units of the riot cops, are preparing for the event (for its crackdown?!!):

Police prepare to curb ‘illegal' rally attempt (JoongAng Ilbo)
 

Violence between riot police and protesters could be in the offing today, with the Korean Alliance against KorUs Free Trade Agreement vowing to go ahead with protest rallies for which permits have been denied and the police vowing to disperse protesters who gather.
 
During a conference call with all provincial police heads yesterday, the National Police Agency agreed to deploy all available police to rally sites named by the organizer and attempt to break up the demonstrators before they coalesce.
 
Kim Sung-ho, the justice minister, said yesterday that urban rallies by organizations with a history of violent protests are not allowed in principle. Police notified the anti-trade alliance yesterday that their rally permits had been denied, but the group told a press conference yesterday that it would not cancel its "peaceful protest."

The police estimate that 20,000 farmers and protesters plan to converge in Seoul, with smaller demonstrations planned in other cities. The authorities said they would mobilize all 400 riot police units around the nation, some 50,000 men, for the expected confrontation today. They plan, they said, to block highways leading to major cities.

The strike-prone Confederation of Trade Unions said that it had called a three-day general strike today to coincide with the anti-trade rallies...

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200611/29/200611290010061509900090409041.html

*****

Here the "official" schedule of the anti-FTA movement:

4. 한미 FTA 저지 범국민촛불문화제  
 
시간: 2006-11-29 오후 08:00:00 ∼  
 
- 장소: 광화문
 

3. 한미FTA 저지 2차 범국민총궐기 대회  
 
시간: 2006-11-29 오후 04:00:00    
 
- 장소: 서울시청 앞 광장

- 본집회 이후 광화문까지 행진 
 

2. 한미FTA 반대 민주노총 집회  
 
시간: 2006-11-29 오후 03:00:00    
 
- 장소: 청와대 인근 국민은행 청운동 지점

- 민주노총 집회 이후 4시 본대회로 집결
 

1. 한미FTA 반대 농대위 집회  
 
시간: 2006-11-29 오후 02:00:00    
 
- 장소: 서울역

- 농대위 집회 이후 4시 본대회로 집결

http://www.nofta.or.kr

*****

Korea Herald is writing following about today's planned events:

Demonstrators defy protest ban 
 
 
A head-on collision is anticipated today between police and the nation's farmers and anti-FTA activists who plan to go ahead with a second massive rally despite warnings from state authorities.

With about 5,000 protesters gathering in central Seoul, large anti-FTA demonstrations will be held in seven other provincial cities including Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Jeju, according to statements from the Korea Alliance Against the Korea-U.S. FTA.

Farmers from Chungcheong, Gangwon and other rural provinces will be joining the rally in Seoul.
 

"As the constitution guarantees the right to hold peaceful rallies, we have decided to go ahead with our second protest despite police warnings," the alliance said in a press conference yesterday. "Although we plan to protest peacefully, we will fight back if the police clamp down on us without a justifiable reason."
 

As a coalition of about 300 anti-FTA civic groups, the alliance has been banned from staging further rallies after last week's nationwide protests which caused turmoil in some regions.
 

Over 73,000 farmers, workers and activists collided with riot police in 13 cities in one of the most violent protests in recent years...

Pledging a peaceful demonstration this time, the alliance requested the police to permit its second rally, but their request was turned down. Despite the rejection, activists are also planning even more protests on Dec. 6, as Seoul and Washington prepare to open the fifth round of formal FTA talks.
 

After declaring a "zero tolerance" policy towards violent rallies, the government reaffirmed that it will take harsh measures should the alliance disobey its restrictions.
 

"We will disallow any rallies by activist groups with past records of violence," Justice Minister Kim Sung-ho said in a radio interview yesterday, indicating that the government will take suppressive action not only against anti-FTA protests but all other potentially violent rallies.
 

"While fully securing the right to hold peaceful demonstrations, the government will use all possible measures through criminal charges, indemnity for damages and disciplinary steps to punish leaders and active participants," he added. "I have asked the prosecution to act following the 'zero tolerance' principle."
 

But Kim said he was against the idea of introducing a stricter permit system for demonstrations.
 

"As a democratic country, Korea should still guarantee the right for collective action - but only if it does not harm the public welfare," he said.
 

State police have already summoned 170 activists involved in last week's violent rallies. Since 163 of those protesters failed to show up, the police are planning to request arrest warrants.
 

The police also raided regional offices of the alliance in Daejeon, Daegu, Gangwon and North Gyeongsang - where the most violent rallies were held - and said officers had secured evidence that protesters were acting under specific orders.
 

The evidence shows that the act of breaking into regional government offices and setting fires on the streets were intentionally planned before the protest, the police said.
 

But the alliance emphasized that last week's violence was purely "accidental."
 

"Violent collisions took place because some governors and mayors had failed to earnestly answer the protesters' questions during the demonstrations. It is only natural that farmers in rural regions are more concerned and enraged about the FTA issue," it said.
 

"Instead of taking coercive measures, the government should try to analyze the reason why protesters became so violent."...
 

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2006/11/29/200611290015.asp

본문

11.22 SHORT, SMALL

"PEOPLE'S UPRISING"

AND NOW.. THE S.K. GOV'T IS

STRIKING BACK!

Police Raid Anti-FTA Rally Organizers (K. Times)
  
Police raided nine offices of civic and farmers’ groups in five regions nationwide early yesterday as part of their investigation into Wednesday’s violent rallies, which were organized by a coalition of civic groups opposing the nation’s proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States.

The raid was conducted to find evidence of allegations that the nationwide violent rallies were planned in advance after demonstrators in the five regions attacked public buildings and broke into them at similar times.

State terror against civic organizations, here in Gwangju

The groups included the anti-FTA coalition, a farmers’ association and the Korean Advanced Farmers Federation...

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200611/kt2006112417315211990.htm

Read also:

Police Will Get Tough With Rallies
 

Seoul declares 'zero tolerance' on violent rallies (K. Herald) 
 
The government yesterday declared a "zero tolerance" policy towards defiant rallies, vowing to launch a massive crackdown on unionized laborers and activists who protested against a free trade deal with the United States earlier this week.
 

"The government will no longer tolerate illegal and violent protests. We will see to it that all participants of the illegal collective action receive the rightful punishment," Justice Minister Kim Sung-ho read from a joint statement of four ministers...

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2006/11/25/200611250002.asp

Gov't has 'no tolerance' for violent anti-FTA rallies  (Yonhap)

Police vow legal crackdown on violent protests (Hankyoreh)

But, dear comrades, always remember Mao Zedong's (毛澤東) words: "When your enemy is fighting you, this is good and not bad."^^

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)

** ^^

본문

The False and Reactionary Nature of Bourgeois "Democracy" (Rodong Shinmun, 11.19)

   Democracy calls for shaping policies according to the intention of the broad popular masses, implementing them to serve their interests and substantially providing them with genuine freedom, rights and happy life. Such genuine democracy is socialist democracy, says Rodong Sinmun Sunday in a signed article. There can never be genuine democracy in the capitalist society where all the state power is in the hands of a few capitalists and it is based on individualism, the article says, and goes on:
    The popular masses cannot seize power and they are excluded from independent political activities and the state power is in the clutches of a handful capitalists. This is one of main reasons why there can never be genuine democracy in the capitalist society.
    Another reason why there can never be genuine democracy in the capitalist society is that this society is based on extreme individualism.
    Democracy claimed by the imperialists is sham democracy and it is no more than a camouflage to deceive the popular masses and cover the reactionary nature of bourgeois dictatorship and the unpopular nature of the capitalist system.
    Bourgeois democracy, so-called democracy in the capitalist society, provides freedom and rights to the privileged capitalists only and no rights and equality are given to the broad grassroots masses. This democracy, therefore, can not be called democracy in its true sense of the word.
    The false and reactionary nature of bourgeois democracy can be found in the socio-political lives of Americans.
    There are many youngsters roaming about to get food and homeless and unemployed people in the U.S.
    The freedom of speech and the freedom of the press in the U.S. where the reactionary American rulers loudly propagandized about the application of democracy are no more than bourgeois democracy, bogus democracy.
    Free election campaigns which the U.S. rulers advertise as model of democracy clearly prove the true nature of bourgeois democracy.
    They say equal opportunity and equal freedom and rights are provided to all people but, in fact, it is only a handful of privileged strata who benefit from them. Herein lies another reactionary nature of the bourgeois democracy...

..(of course) in complete opposition to the "People's Democracy" of Juche ideology ^^

And just to prove Rodong Shinmun's article, Korea Times, a bourgeois (of course reactionary^^) daily in "south Korea" published today following example of the "sick bourgeois democracy":

"Many Koreans get angry over some foreign Web sites that despoil the Korean image...

Japanese Web sites that give an account of history that Korean disagree with exceed 400. They claim Dokdo islets are a Japanese territory, and they use ``Sea of Japan'' instead of the ``East Sea,''...

By typing the word ``Korea'' to the biggest online search engine in China, one can get access to more than 30,000 postings about conflicts between Korea and China over the history of the Koguryo Dynasty...

While most of the Japanese or Chinese online postings indicated ``hatred'' toward Korea, most of the Web sites from the west displayed ``ignorance.'' Many Web sites from the United States or Australia showed that all they really know about Korean culture is eating dogs...

Some of the laid-off workers at the LG-Phillips factory in Aachen, Germany, conducted an online boycott of Korean products to protest the closing of the factory...

Many of these sites are quite damaging to the Korean image and Hallyu. The sites are not easy for the government to control because it concentrates on promoting the Korean image rather than regulating or correcting the contents of individual Web sites..."

Read the entire sh.. here:

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200611/kt2006112017443111970.htm

Ya, it's complete impossible, that everyone have the possibility to say/write what he/she is thinking!!

What a shame that "the sites are not easy for the government to control"! F.. (bourgeois) DEMOCRACY!!

"..laid-off workers at the LG-Phillips factory.. conducted an online boycott of Korean products.." In the DPRK it would be complete impossible that fired workers, for example in Gaeseong, express their disappointment/anger (Yodok is just waiting!!)..

But just wait until the reunification under the wise leadership of... Then (at the latest) all this sick style of f.. democracy will be abolished!!

The Korean nation condemning the

"sick bourgeois democracy"^^

로동신문 부르죠아민주주의의 허위성과 반동성
 
 
(평양 11월 19일발 조선중앙통신)19일부 《로동신문》은 광범한 인민대중의 의사에 따라 정책을 세우고 인민대중의 리익에 맞게 그것을 관철하며 인민대중에게 참다운 자유와 권리, 행복한 생활을 실질적으로 보장하여주는것이 바로 민주주의이라고 하면서 세상에 이러한 참다운 민주주의는 오직 하나 사회주의적민주주의이라고 지적하였다.

론설의 필자는 국가의 모든 권력이 소수 자본가들의 수중에 장악되여있으며 개인주의에 기초하고있는 자본주의사회에서는 결코 진정한 민주주의가 있을수 없다고 하면서 다음과 같이 썼다.

자본주의사회에서는 인민대중이 정권의 주인으로 되지 못하고 자주적인 정치생활에서 제외되고있으며 국가의 모든 권력이 소수 자본가들의 손에 쥐여져있다.바로 여기에 자본주의사회에 진정한 민주주의가 있을수 없는 주되는 근거의 하나가 있다.

자본주의사회에 진정한 민주주의가 있을수 없는 근거는 또한 극단한 개인주의에 기초하고있는 자본주의제도자체의 본질에도 있다.

제국주의자들이 떠드는 《민주주의》는 가짜민주주의이며 오직 인민대중을 기만하고 부르죠아독재의 반동성과 자본주의제도의 반인민적본질을 가리우기 위한 위장물에 지나지 않는다.

자본주의사회에서의 이른바 《민주주의》,부르죠아민주주의는 자본가계급,소수 특권계급에게만 자유와 권리를 보장해주고 광범한 인민대중에게는 무권리와 불평등을 가져다준다. 따라서 그것은 본래의 의미에서 민주주의가 아니다.

론설은 부르죠아민주주의의 허위성과 반동성은 무엇보다도 미국의 사회정치생활에서 잘 나타나고있다고 하면서 다음과 같이 계속하였다.

오늘 미국에는 먹을것을 찾아 떠돌아다니는 청소년들,집없는 사람들,일자리를 찾아 헤매이는 실업자들이 헤아릴수 없이 많다.

미국반동지배층이 입을 모아 《민주주의의 철저한 구현》에 대해 요란하게 선전하는 미국에서의 이른바 《언론의 자유》,《출판의 자유》 역시 부르죠아민주주의,가짜민주주의에 지나지 않는다.

미국지배층이 《민주주의의 표본》이라고 광고하는 미국에서의 이른바 《자유로운 선거경쟁》도 부르죠아민주주의의 진면모를 잘 보여준다.

외견상으로는 모든 사람들에게 평등한 기회,똑같은 자유와 권리를 주는듯이 꾸며놓고 실제에 있어서는 소수 특권계층만이 그것을 누리며 행사할수 있게 하는데 부르죠아민주주의의 반동적특징의 하나가 있다.

http://www.kcna.co.jp/calendar/2006/11/11-20/2006-1119-006.html

^=^

본문

KCTU's latest ("propaganda") video for to get int'l solidarity:

"10 Years After to OECD - Trade Union Repression in South Korea You can see the latest situation of trade union repression at South Korea through this video clip. It includes the cases of government repression against the Korean Gevernment Employees' Union, Construction Workers and Irregular workers."(*)

* of course.. "10 years after the OECD.."^^

본문

Korea Times wrote following about the Anti-FTA struggle in the coming weeks and today's "General Strike" by KCTU:

Police Alert Over FTA Demonstration
 

Protesters against a free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the United States are planning to bring in hundreds of chartered buses to form a blockade in downtown Seoul during an upcoming demonstration.

``Anti-FTA activists comprised of farmers, laborers and unionized teachers will participate in three protests planned for Nov. 22, Nov. 29 and Dec. 6,’’ a source close to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) said on Tuesday.

He said, ``Their plan is to have at least one thousand buses park in the middle of Seoul to bring traffic in the city to a standstill.’’

According to other union officials, tens of thousands of farmers across the country are scheduled to arrive in central Seoul in rented buses to join the anti-FTA protest. They said that the bus-blockade will be held on one of the three days. The farmers also plan to stage rallies in their regional strongholds during the rest two days.

``Their behind-the-scenes plan, prepared over the past few months, is aimed at pressing the Roh Moo-hyun administration to drop its policy to sign a free trade deal with Washington,’’ said the source.

He said he believes that Chong Wa Dae has already obtained information about their plan and police will certainly hamper the mass bus-parking around Kwanghwamun and City Hall.

While a KCTU spokesperson declined to unveil the joint union’s strategy, sources forecast the scale of the protest to be massive enough to rival the ``June Protest’’ against the then-military dictatorship in 1987.(!!!)

As a warning to the government, the union will stage a preliminary demonstration on Nov. 15.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200611/kt2006111417232468040.htm

Also about today's "General Strike" Korea Herald published this article:

Labor group to strike over bills 
 
 
A radical labor group will go on strike today in protest of government-led labor reform bills which it claims would weaken the rights of workers.
 

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the nation's two umbrella labor unions, said some 150,000 members will participate in the four-hour walkout from 3 p.m.
 

It is demanding the government scrap the bills and draw up laws to secure the rights of temporary workers.
 

"Unless the government and political parties give us proper answers by Nov. 20, we will go on an indefinite strike from Nov. 22 as planned," said Woo Mun-sook, the KCTU spokeswoman.
 

On Sept. 11, representatives from labor unions, employers and the government struck an agreement on a package of labor bills without the participation of the KCTU.
 

Its moderate rival, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, represented the labor side at the National Tripartite Commission negotiations.
 

The breakthrough came as the government accepted the FKTU's proposal to delay two of the most controversial measures - dropping full-time union officers from company payrolls, and permitting multiple trade unions at a single company - for three years until the end of 2009.
 

Calling for immediate implementation of the multiple union system and insisting that the issue of paying full-time union officers should be left to individual companies, the KCTU threatened a mass protest.
 

But the group found difficulties in launching the strike due to a lack of support from its members.
 

With many members against a walkout, less than half of its members - just over 45 percent of its some 700,000 - participated in a vote that lasted from from Oct. 16 to Nov. 3. Amid a lack of participation even in the extended voting held through Tuesday, the KCTU hurriedly decided on a one-day strike.
 

The KCTU also announced that its member taxi drivers' union will provide free rides for students to examination sites for the nation's major college entrance exams tomorrow. The labor group had received strong public criticism for staging a mass strike close to the exam date.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2006/11/15/200611150009.asp

The semi-official news agency Yonhap reported already yesterday following:

S. Korean labor union to stage strikes on Wednesday

A leading South Korean umbrella labor group said Tuesday it would launch a partial strike(??) this week in protest of government-led labor reform bills and ongoing free trade talks with the United States.

Some 150,000 members from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) are expected to take part in a four-hour strike Wednesday, demanding the government work out appropriate measures by Monday, union officials said.

The union will stage larger-scale, indefinite strikes from Oct. 22 if the government doesn't abide by the union's demands, said Woo Moon-sook, a spokeswoman at the KCTU.

On Sunday, the militant union held a large-scale rally in downtown Seoul, but there were no reports of injuries, arrests or severe traffic congestion. In recent months, public anger has grown over various street protests, which often disrupt traffic in Seoul.

In September, the government agreed with management officials and another major trade union, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), to allow government-owned companies to hire temporary workers during a strike and permit multiple labor unions at a workplace.

The KCTU, which didn't attend the meeting, has opposed the tripartite agreement, saying it is a ploy to break up the labor movement and compromise workers' rights.

The KCTU is also strongly against ongoing Seoul-Washington talks on a free trade agreement, arguing the accord would threaten the livelihoods of many South Korean workers and farmers.

South Korea and the U.S. are set to hold the fifth round on Dec. 4-9 in the U.S. amid pressure for the sides to wrap up the negotiations by March.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20061114/610000000020061114155230E5.html

Voice of People about..

The KCTU's general strike 

And finally KCTU published following yesterday:

KCTU Launches a General Strike!  

PS:

Here 총파업소식(1114)  you can watch a summary (by KCTU TV) of last Sunday's(11.12) workers' rallies in Seoul.

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Last Weekend's Events in Seoul

First of all last Saturday afternoon/evening the final event of STREET ART FESTIVAL

(for more please see also: November: Peace Activities in Seoul)

took place in front of downtown's Boshin-gak.

More impressive pictures about the event you can see here:

20061111 -- 대추리를 지켜라 거리예술제(폐막일)

At the same evening until the early next morning the "Central Proletarian Culture Night/전국노동자대회 전야제" took place in Yeouido.

More about it you can read here in Korean: 

"승리에 대한 한 치의 의심도 버려라" (VoP)

노동자의 삶과 투쟁의 기록, 제2회 노동영상제 (VoP)

On Sunday afternoon the "Central/National Workers' Rally" was held in front of Seoul's City Hall. According to several newspapers/Internet magazines about 30,000 workers (maximally) joined the event (KCTU actually expected at least 100,000 participants).

For more please check out following articles in Korean and English:

“싸울 것인가 말 것인가, 기로에 섰다” (Chamsesang)

등돌린 양대노총 엇갈린 ‘총력전’ (Hankyoreh)

http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/labor/171251.html

The German "socialist" daily Junge Welt reported 11.13 in short news:

"Seoul: 'We Want General Strike!'

..30,000 workers demonstrated in the S. Korean capital Seoul for better protection of irregular workers.. The crowd demanded 'We Want General Strike!'.."

Aeh~ from whom? As a gift? Or they want to pay for it? ...

BTW.. VoP headlined on its main/entrance page11.12:

"Strike - Victory, Anti-US Struggle"

Hae~ ????

And please, what's that (the background painting on the main stages for 11.11/12 workers' rallies)?

NK/KPA artillery shells raining on the heads of the SK working class??

PS:

Scenes from the same event ("National/Central Workers' Rally") but three years ago (Nov.9, 2003) you can watch here(for to see it, press the "play" button!):

Made by 숲속홍길동同志

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전국노동자대회 전야제

(11月11日, Yeouido, Munhwa-madang/Culture Park)

Wow.. SOJU, MAKOLLI....^^....(only 3,000 won!!^^)

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*****

Coming Sunday, as it is a tradition in SK, the "Central Demonstration of the Working Class" should take the streets of downtown Seoul, but the f.. cops (National Police Agency/Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency) seems to have complete different plans..

In Korea Times latest edition following unbelievable story is published:

Police Ban Weekend Rallies in Central Seoul
 

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Tuesday that it refused to give permission to the two flagship labor unions to hold massive rallies in central Seoul because they could cause traffic jams.

One of the rejected rallies was planned by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) which aimed to bring 200,000 workers from across the country to Kwanghwamun, in central Seoul on Nov. 12...

The police said that the rally planned by KCTU would have caused serious traffic jams and inconvenience to the public since its industrial unions planned to march toward Kwanghwamun after holding rallies at Chongmyo, Myongdong and Seoul Station...

The rejections of the requests is in line with the National Police Agency’s (NPA’s) policy to deal strictly with rallies that could cause inconvenience to the public. As the inconvenience of traffic jams caused by massive rallies takes place frequently, the National Police Agency (NPA) ordered regional offices on Sept. 27 to disallow rallies that would cause traffic congestion.

However, a mass rally by the Dump Truck Drivers’ Confederation in central Seoul is to take place since their request was made before NPA’s order. The police are currently attempting to persuade the association not to allow its members to march on roads during the rally.

The NPA’s order has sparked criticism from civic groups which claim the measures limit the freedom of assembly guaranteed by the Constitution...

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200611/kt2006110717380653460.htm

The "left-liberal" daily Hankyoreh is writing following about the same case:

S.K. freedom of assembly questioned

(incl. a mistake: they confuse FKTU with KCTU^^)

But... Just remember Mao Zedong's words:

"When the enemy is fighting us, it's good and not bad!" (^^)

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CLASS  WAR ON

"HONEYMOON ISLAND"

Jeju-do: Protests against US-SK FTA Session

Related articles you can read here:

Bumpy S. Korea-U.S. FTA talks make headway: S. Korean official (Yonhap)

US Offers No FTA Perks to Korea (K. Times)

"전용철, 홍덕표, 하중근 그리고 또 오늘..." (VoP, incl. 6 videos)
[한미FTA 제주 투쟁 24일] 투쟁단, 촛불집회로 하루 마무리

http://www.voiceofpeople.org/new/2006102453558.html

Some more pics about the protest you can see here:

10월 23일 한미FTA 저지 제주도 원정 시위