명동해방전선 Myeongdong Liberation Front

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Pics of the day - today's "highlights" in Myeong-dong(^^)

The "protection wall" shows the first signs of disintegration(^^):

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Impressions(*) from today's press conference(**) to denounce gangsters', hired by Daewoo Construction (mafia!), violent repression against tenants who are resisting the so-called "redevelopment" plan in Myeong-dong:

Always we'd the thugs, hired by Daewoo Construction (mafia!) around us!

And ultimately they just tried to provoke us!!

* More pictiures you can see on facebook:

☞  Myeong-dong Struggle against the gentrification
 

** Here an excerpt of the offical paper for the media:

명동구역 용역깡패폭력 규탄 및 화재진상규명 촉구를 위한 기자회견
Press Conference condemning the demolition gangsters, hired by Daewoo Construction (Mafia!!) in Myeong-dong area and calling for an urgent investigation on the fire, which broke out the day before Chuseok(9.10) in Myeong-dong 13 Gil.

강제 철거로 위협하는 명동도시환경정비사업 시행사 강력 규탄!
We strongly condemn the company that threatens with forced demolition in Myeong-dong environment improvement!

무력 기습점거 폭력만행 용역깡패 물러가라!
Demolition gangsters, who raid and commit brutal acts, get out of here!

대낮에도 자행되는 용역깡패들의 폭력과 협박
이를 방치하는 서울시, 중구청, 남대문서는 각성하라!
Seoul city gov't, Jung-gu district office and Namdaemun police station should wake up, to stop the gangsters' violences and threats even in a broad daylight!

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Y'day afternoon in Myeong-dong: performance to protest against the so-called "redevelopment" and its devastating effects...

And here some impressions from last night's solidarity concert "Myeong-dong Inferno"("명동불바다"):

More pictures about both events you can see on our facebook site Myeong-dong Struggle against the gentrification! 

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Y'ay(9.13) in the afternoon/evening we were supporting the Jaeneung Sit-in Strike Collective (now since 1361 days in strike!!). Here just some impressions of our common solidarity party to celebrate the end of Chuseok:

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Despite (f*cking) Chuseok... Right now in our neighborhood:

명동 '재개발' 구역의 시행사는 3구역 합의가 끝나자마자 추석임에도 공사를 강행하고, 야간작업으로 소음과 먼지가 심하게 발생해도 이에대해서 전혀 대책을 준비하지 않았습니다. 야만적 철거 재개발은 계속될 것이고, 우리의 투쟁도 더욱 강해질 것입니다.

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Our special Chuseok gift, given (since today morning 05:15) to us by Daewoo Construction (mafia!!), their hired gangsters, the police and Jung-gu (district) office:

Our former struggle center ('Cafe Mari'), yesterday and today(uhuu~):

But of course we'll not give up the fight!!! That's our Chuseok gift for f*cking Daewoo Construction (mafia!!), their hired gangsters etc.!!

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Yesterday evening the struggle tenants of Myeong-dong's 'Cafe Mari' reached an agreement with the "developing" and the construction company (Mafia). But as we know, they got an acceptable compensation only, but no really alternate place in the nearer neighborhood.(AND whether the compensation was acceptable is itself an unsolved mystery) And of course they'll get no place in the planned buildings.

The possible reason why they gave up so fast (we wanted to struggle until the bitter end!!):

1. They were completely inexperienced and unorganized.

2. The enduring attack by the gangsters really scared them.

3. Possibly they also were overchallenged by our kind of solidarity??!!

4. Physically challenged and tired by various pressures(e.g. lawsuits), they were driven to give up(only part of the process, though).

Anyway, today in the morning we had to clean the struggle center ('Cafe Mari') and in the early afternoon after a short press conference we left it and went into "exile"(^^), just around the corner(Myeong-dong 13gil).

Later in the early evening we decided to move some meters up in the direction of Myeong-dong Cathedral. And possibly here we'll stay until the 'bitter' end...

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To cut a long story short today was not a successful day for us, not really!

Like last Thursday a crane truck, in order of Daewoo Construction (Mafia) tried to enter the Myeong-dong "redevelopment" area to continue the demolition of buildings close to our struggle center ('Cafe Mari').

Well, for the first two hours - from 06:00am(KST) until 08:00am - we were able to block the shit. At 08:00 the truck left the site and we - very happy to sleep few hours more - went back to our struggle center('Cafe Mari').

But only three hours later we'd to learn that ultimatey the truck entered its destination and was already prepared to start the demolition process. At around noon two of our comrades, backed by about 40 activists/supporters just occupied the crane. But of course only a short while later the riot cops(at least 120) moved in and punctually(^^) to supper time(06:00pm KST) they finished our "performance"(i.e. protest).

The final result: Five(*) of our comrades, incl. four MDLF activists were arrested(they're are still in custody) and at least one person was taken by the ambulance to a hospital. Here some impressions(chronologically arranged) from today's "events" in Myeong-dong:

* According to Yonhap: Seven actvists were arrested, incl. two supporting organized street vendors.