Just when you thought the US beef protests couldn’t get any crazier, here comes this bit of news:
The “Citizens Alliance Against Radical Illegal Candlelight Demonstrations” (a.k.a. No No Demo) announced yesterday that 500-600 foreign students and about 100 English teachers planned to attend a rally set for 5–8pm on July 5. Some 100 foreign laborers and Korean-Americans will also attend.
An official from the group said hundreds of resident foreigners have expressed their intention to voluntarily attend the demonstration. The official said that in the face of loud demands for the beef import deal to be renegotiated, the foreigners could not voice their own opinions about US beef, and that after they learned of the alliance’s online cafe, they contacted it looking to participate. He said the largest number of foreigners would be students in their 20s—30s.
He noted that the students not only wished to oppose the radical demonstrations, but also ask the candle crowd to pay attention to North Korean human rights. [Marmot's Hole]
The zaniest part of this protest against the protesters is that this group is going to be protected by 300 ex-North Korean soldiers who defected to South Korea. Can you imagine the KCTU thugs fighting with ex-North Korean soldiers and Hanchongnyun duking it out against “low quality foreign English teachers“? This should be a Pay Per View Event!
Only in Korea can something this absurd happen, all because of US beef. Truly incredible. Personally I don’t like the idea of linking the North Korean human rights issue with the beef protests. By linking North Korean human rights with US beef it dilutes the message the NK human rights groups have been promoting. Nevertheless it should be entertaining to see what happens.
Keep in mind that anyone reading this on SOFA status with USFK, you cannot participate in this protest and should steer clear of the area altogether. According to SOFA all USFK personnel cannot participate in political activity. Also by even showing up and watching you could un-wantedly get wrapped in whatever potential violence may go down on Saturday. So stay clear and lets hope everyone can protest peacefully without any violence breaking out.
Popularity: 3%
3:54 pm on July 3rd, 2008 1
I would expect an overwhelming KNP deployment to this disaster waiting to happen.
4:25 pm on July 3rd, 2008 2
I have mixed feelings about the idea — and I can see it going any which a way — in all extremes.
I can see not wanting beef mixed with NKHR, but the item that I question more is the ex-North Korea soldiers doing guard duty.
I’d prefer to take the US Civil Rights Movement route — not the Black Panther one but the MLK Jr. one…
Instead of coming armed with body guards, I’d rather see the protesters come armed with video cameras.
Then, if they are accosted by a mob, they can upload it to You Tube and other sites. I think that could have the kind of impact they probably want to have: It would stand a chance of getting average Koreans to take a look at the issues from a different vantage point. Especially if a big name foreign news org reported it.
5:24 pm on July 3rd, 2008 3
5:28 pm on July 3rd, 2008 4
Korea may never have its own Summer of Love, but this is definitely its Summer of Hate!
6:12 pm on July 3rd, 2008 5
‘By linking North Korean human rights with US beef it dilutes the message the NK human rights groups have been promoting.’
Perhaps, but I think they are attempting to point out an issue that -is- worthy of excessively emotional candlelight vigils.
7:46 pm on July 3rd, 2008 6
Do you really think the Korean public is going to perceive it that way?
12:48 am on July 4th, 2008 7
7:31 am on July 4th, 2008 8
can’t wait to watch it on youtube
10:13 am on July 4th, 2008 9
I hope all of you guys come out in force. We are preparing to work behind the scenes to instigate violence against all of you pro-yankee dogs. God willing you be assaulted, arrested, and 10,000 planes will fly into your buildings.
10:29 am on July 4th, 2008 10
Yo swlee, wassup w’da hatin dude?
If I see you there I’m a gunna tap you ass, you wit me? So try me.
I know you know what I look like, and I’m gunna be in the thick of, so come on.
Just try it on.
You’ll be spittin teeth like watermelon seeds.
Word.
12:37 pm on July 4th, 2008 11
swlee:
You, sir, are human garbage. And I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here (note that I said “human”).
Go get run over by a tank.
12:46 pm on July 4th, 2008 12
I’d like to see collective action by foreigners. They have plenty of real grievances against the government and employers. I’d like to see both the 3D workers and hakwon slaves having a real voice.
1:01 pm on July 4th, 2008 13
10,000 planes… that would kinda put a dent in the world air travel business. Isn’t that about every commercial airliner on the planet?
I suspect some exageration here. And besides.. who would be able to pay for all that gas?
1:38 pm on July 4th, 2008 14
I don’t like the idea of protestors protesting protests. It even sounds ridiculous. But on second thought after looking at the article on OhMy News of the protests overseas by Koreans over the Mad Cow issue in Europe and US/Canada, I guess I should say that the overseas Koreans have made it clear that the foreigners have a RIGHT to protest in Korea — as a democracy — just as they themselves could in other countries around the world.
Thus though I may disagree with the protest, if the Koreans do attack the protestors — God forbid — they would make an statement to the world that the anti-LMB protestors do NOT believe in the democratic freedoms that its overseas Koreans enjoy in DEMOCRATIC countries.
I pity the poor police who have to stand between the two dissenting protestor groups having hissing-fits over a non-issue.
3:50 pm on July 4th, 2008 15
I hope I see all you peeps there, its a good cause and there’ll be free steak.
Mmm, free steak!
For those of you that haven’t me me yet, come up and say hello.
Don’t be shy, I’ll be the fat nigger with a camera and a whole host of cutting-edge audio-visual gear for my live on-the-street mid-demo Internet video blogging.
Special invite to swlee still stands.
5:14 pm on July 4th, 2008 16
swlee is showing the true colors of those freedom loving souls who want to overthrow a democratically elected president. Perhaps Webster’s dictionary should redefine the word democracy to fit Mr. Lee’s idea of what he thinks it means: violence against anyone who does not share one’s opinion.
7:51 pm on July 4th, 2008 17
Metropolitician…
Don’t believe in protesting the protest, but do think the idea of “reciprocal democracy” is a solid idea — you have free speech in the US and I should have free speech in Korea as a democracy. Spent my time protecting this Korean democracy from the old days (though the Koreans called it a dictatorship) — pre-Team Spirit — and finished my tour years sitting under an F-16 during the ‘88 Olympics just in case things got strange but these latest protestors seemed to have forgotten what it’s all about.
I’m off tomorrow. Where will you folks be assembling along the stream?
7:47 am on July 5th, 2008 18
I believe we have a Metropolictian imposter here.
9:11 am on July 5th, 2008 19
11:28 am on July 5th, 2008 20
Disregard last my post. Still going up but for a one-man, silent, in the corner, way in the back, unseen and hidden, personal protest. Going there just for me.
12:17 pm on July 5th, 2008 21
[...] interesting to see what this investigator has to say if the KCTU tries to provoke violence with the counter-protesters coming out tonight against the US beef protesters. Because of this I would be surprised if the leftist thugs try [...]
4:57 am on July 6th, 2008 22
Repost of what I posted on Marmot’s Hole on 5 Jul:
Was also there at the nonodemo and was very disappointed with the turnout — after it was announced with such fanfare. The media said there was going to be 30,000 and as you can attest it was about 500. But that is the media’s fault — and the guy giving overly optimistic press releases. The teachers that were supposed to show up??? Think I saw only about 5 — of the 100 that was supposed to show.
But am I disappointed? No. I went for personal reasons as I support the idea of a counterpoint in a discussion. I support an exercise in democracy — not only the one-way version that has been going on on the other side.
BTW those military clad folks are the Hanchongryeon “storm troopers/peace marshalls” that are there to coordinate the trouble. I arrived at 5:30 and they were hanging out as a group down near the 7-11 — I assume because they thought 30,000 were going to show up. When only 500 old folks — and I never saw the 300 “bodyguards” — appeared, it was apparent that their job was nill. To taunt the group, they formed up on the opposite street with signs that talked about a new beginning of non-violence. Nice touch.
Only one incident when a rabble rouser in a pink raincoat (not a monk) was chased out of the group’s area — but then returned with his own group. The police put an end to any confrontation by simply blocking them off immediately before they could cross the road. The police finally boxed the whole area with buses at the front — and had police at the rear.
Left at 7:30 because it appeared that they weren’t going to do much more.
However, though I still don’t believe in protesting protests, I do believe in exercising their rights under the democracy that the other side so loudly professes…but is so ready to trample.
If they do this again, I hope they choose another venue as this place was not a good choice. If they do, my presence will be there but as always I’ll be in the background…