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…

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?

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.