By If you are out and about this weekend in Korea you might want to take notice that the usual thugs will out protesting and bashing cops:
U.S. Forces Korea is advising all U.S. personnel to avoid a large area of downtown Seoul on Friday and Saturday because of large gatherings that could turn violent.
According to the USFK Web site, a protest group with strong anti-American sentiment is planning a series of demonstrations at the Seoul City Hall Plaza and/or the Cheonggue Plaza. One demonstration is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, and a larger protest, expected to draw about 100,000 people, is planned for Saturday. Several other groups also plan to protest government policies in rallies Friday that could draw an additional 20,000 to 100,000 people, USFK said.
The Korean National Police have vowed to exercise tight control over the crowds, USFK said, creating the potential for violent clashes between police and protesters. Security cordons near the plazas are expected to cause delays.
USFK is advising Americans to avoid the area as well as mass transit that is near or leads to the area.
I went over to the USFK website to see what group would be able to draw 100,000 people to protest and here is who it is:
From 28 Apr to 2 May 09, the Yongsan POMDAEWI (Pan-National Countermeasure Committee for the Late Middle School Girls Killed by US Military Armored Vehicle) is planning on leading a series of demonstrations at the Seoul City Hall Plaza and/or the Cheonggue Plaza in Seoul in honor of the five protesters and one police officer who were killed in Yongsan over eviction disputes which turned violent on 20 Jan 09. The Yongsan POMDAEWI party claims they want to find out the truth behind the Yongsan accident and punish those responsible. Yongsan POMDAEWI has designated 28 to 30 Apr 09 as the Pan National Week to honor the memories of those killed on 20 Jan 09. From 28 to 30 Apr 09, at 1900 hours daily, the Yongsan POMDAEWI will gather at the Seoul City Hall or the Cheonggue Plaza. [USFK.mil]
You can read much more at the USFK link.
So what does a traffic accident have to do with a building fire? Absolutely nothing but this is nothing new in Korea with these leftist thugs continuously using anti-Americanism to promote other causes, last year’s US beef protests are the best example.
By the way the truth from the armored vehicle accident and the Yongsan fire are already known, but these people could care less; they are just looking for an excuse to bash policemen. Personally I would be surprised if they get 100,000 people to show up considering how discredited these people are due to the exposing of the lies surrounding the US beef protests. This is probably why they are trying to rally people around the armored vehicle accident instead.
I guess we will see if this is the next increase in protest activity that USinKorea has been speculating about.
6:05 am on May 1st, 2009 1
Can you imagine if Americans had a smiliar group as POMDAEWI in the US to protest Virginia Tech murders?
I guess 2 ACCIDENT victims is the same as 32 MURDER victims in the minds of those scum bags and those like them.
9:18 am on May 1st, 2009 2
“I guess 2 ACCIDENT victims is the same as 32 MURDER victims in the minds of those scum bags and those like them.”
Smoothbore, in the eyes of the idiots who participate in rallies like these being held Friday and Saturday, the Virginia Tech shooter was the victim and the 32 murdered Americans were his persecutors. This is the logic of the Korean left. I’m just wondering how many of the participants will be sending reports back to Pyongyang.
9:47 am on May 1st, 2009 3
If this rally shows a lot of anti-US elements, and is that large, it'll be somewhat of a new one in my book.
I can't think off the top of my head of any other sizable anti-US demonstration that wasn't directly connected to something involving USFK or the US – even in a tangential way.
If this thing is supposed to be focused on the Yongsan fires and turns into an anti-US show —- they must really be scraping the bottom of the bucket. There are many anniversaries throughout the year which they can (and have) used as an excuse to exercise anti-US muscles. Why would they feel the need to combine these two???
I wonder if it isn't simply that the media got it mixed up a little. There are a gazillion "civic groups" in Korea – headed by about 12 people….
So it would be very ordinary for the leaders of armored vehicle accident group to be heading up some group for the victims of the fire…
I really won't know what to make of it if this protest is sizable and mixes these two issues together as a functional part of the protest.
If they get that many people for such a protest, I'd guess time is getting ripe for a spike in anti-US activity…..
12:04 pm on May 1st, 2009 4
"in the eyes of the idiots who participate in rallies like these being held Friday and Saturday, the Virginia Tech shooter was the victim and the 32 murdered Americans were his persecutors. This is the logic of the Korean left. I’m just wondering how many of the participants will be sending reports back to Pyongyang.
In Seoul nailed it!
May 1st has always been a traditional rallying/protest day for leftists and laborors. As pointed out in this blog, no new controversies- real or invented- have occured lately. Thank god!
These Nork stooge idiots are really grasping at straws trying to get anything to whip up support for their anti-US, anti-2MB cause.
My guess/hope is that the general populace will not be interested.
We all know that Koreans are quick to become enraged, but also quickly forget and cool down. Since no new controversy has occured, most people will just be enjoying their weekend and not bother with any protest.
I'm sure you will only see small groups of the most idiotic leftist kind.
That being said, this will definitely harden their resolve to go looking for new controversies to whip up public sentiment for their cause. We know that when their is no controversy, they are fairly adept at inventing them- remember the Incheon/McArthur(sp?) controversy that just appeared out of the blue.
Be on the lookout for the next flair up. You better believe the Nork stooges will be working overtime to make it happen!
11:06 pm on May 1st, 2009 5
I was actually just in the City Hall area. I've been stationed in Korea for about a month, and I'm actually down in Chinhae most of the time, so I actually didn't know where the protests were going to be. There was supposed to be a parade down there, and looked like a pretty cool celebration. That was quickly cut out, as the protesters took over.
I got out of there quick, but frankly, I wasn't too worried. It looked like there might be something like a 1:1 ration of police to protesters.