Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Mad Beef June 10th protest, photos; now, with half-assed commentary

My computer crapped out, so I'm doing this on the work computer. I'll add details, amend, edit, and polish this when I have a chance. For now: pictures! Official estimates vary from 60 000 people (bull) to 400 000 (maybe a bit high) people showed up. The candlelit rally in Gwanghwamun: (In roughly chronological order.)

Freight containers blocked off the main road. This is where water cannons were used before, and I think where one riot bus was dragged away from the frontline and trashed completely by protesters.
Last night's protest was blessedly nonviolent (though noisy -- even from my apartment).1987 was the last bout of pro-democracy protests in Korea; they toppled the Chun Doo-hwan dictatorship; people are comparing Korea's current president to Chun Doo-hwan. . .but they have the freedom to compare him to Chun Doo-Hwan without having their names put on a list, and cars parking outside their houses, watching.

lot of people came.
there's the famous lee sunshin statue. Better photo here.The corner store nearest the protest epicentre: they know what's what, and there's money to be made.
Buy your protest gear here! Right next to the barricade, still out to make a buck. I love Korea!
People sitting in circles. It felt like a street festival. Really.
This guy brought his kids.
The storage containers are five across, two high, and two deep, greased for difficult climbing.
My favourite poster of the night.
Suddenly, they all started walking. Right at me.
A taekwondo demonstration.

This is candle girl, the unofficial mascot of the beef protests.
this guy was having a smoke: take a break from protesting (the mere, however-slim possibility of) mad-cow-infected beef, which has killed about 200 people worldwide in all medical history, to puff on a cigarette, which kills thousands a year, in Korea alone. (In 2000, 29.8 people per 100 000 died of lung cancer.)

it sounds like a pun on "ambitious" if you read "MB Shuts" out loud; MB means "myung-bak" or "Lee Myungbak", Korea's president. The Korean below says "boys: tell Lee Myungbak to shut up." Basically, it makes no sense.

There's admiral lee again. Many people.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Alone in my "Appat", I was laughing out loud when I read this part. When i saw the photo I knew it was cumming but it was still great...

"this guy was having a smoke: take a break from protesting (the mere, however-slim possibility of) mad-cow-infected beef, which has killed about 200 people worldwide in all medical history, to puff on a cigarette, which kills thousands a year, in Korea alone. (In 2000, 29.8 people per 100 000 died of lung cancer.)"