Sit-in Struggle against the crackdown in the name of the G-20

“우리는 범죄자가 아니다! 우리는 테러리스트가 아니다!”
We are not criminals! We are not terrorists!
G-20을 빌미로 한 단속추방 반대농성

Sit-in Struggle against the crackdown in the name of G-20



Fourth Report
 
*July 27 (Tuesday)
Many people have been coming to the sit-in protest site to conduct interviews and report on our struggle. Yonhap News, a union researcher from England named Ciaran, a Korean foreign student from Harvard University and Salad TV visited and cover our story. It makes us feel as if we are receiving a lot of attention and encouragement. Kim Yi-chan from the KCTU Special Committee to Fight for the Reinstatement of Dismissed Workers and comrades from KCTU Seoul Regional Council, and Seoul General Union also visited our protest site.
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*July 28 (Wednesday)
This was the fourth day of the MTU President’s hunger strike. There were also a lot of interviews on this day. Redian and Labor Today covered our protest. Our president gave a passionate interview, despite being very tired from the hunger strike.  We also participated in a meeting of the Seoul Alliance of Irregular Workers Unions and spread the word about our protest. We were also visited by participants in the Migrant Rights Defender and officers from the Hyangrin Church.
 
*July 29 (Thursday)
Chamsaesang and Nepal News conducted interviews. As this was the fifth day of our President’s hunger strike Doctor Choe Gyu-jin from the Alliance of Health and Medical Workers Organizations came and treated him. Doctor Choe told the President that his is very weak and need to be careful. We agreed that the President would have regular check ups. This day we were visited by the Imprisoned Workers Supports Alliance, People’s Solidarity for Social Progress, a Nepalese comrade and Comrades Yuri and Dongyoung. The Incheon Migrants Alliance also carried out street outreach at Dongam Station Plaza in the afternoon.
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* July 30 (Friday)
The Director and other comrades from the Seoul Branch of the Railway Workers Union and comrades from the Alliance of Irregular Workers Union, Seoul Branch, the Korean Clerical Workers Union for Solidarity, Hwaija Branch, Kiryeung Electronics Chapter of the Metal Workers Union, the Korean Public Interest Lawyers’Group, Gong-Gam, MWTV, the Morado Team and Student March visited this day.
We also held a candlelight protest calling for an end to the crackdown in front of Myeongdong Cathedral beginning at 7pm. Roughly 150 migrant workers and Korean supporters attended. Despite it being the sixth day of his hunger strike, MTU’s President gave a powerful speech and received much applause. The Director of KCTU Seoul Regional Council, Lee Jae-wung and Minister Im Bo-ran of Hyangrin Church gave solidarity speeches.  “Big Smile”a singing group from KCTU Seoul Regional Council’s Central DistrictCouncil performed and Nepalese comrades spoke and sang “We Shall Overcome.”Members of National Student March did a protest dance and Comrade Somodu of Stop Crackdown Band gave the final performance. We are very grateful to all who attended. It gave great strength to those of us conducting the sit-in protest and other migrant workers.

Participants included: KCTU Chief Vice President Jeong Ui-heon, KCTU Seoul Regional Council Director and other comrades, KCTU Seoul Regional Council, Central District Council Chairperson, Seoul General Union President and other comrades, Korean Public Service Workers Union, Seogyeong Branch, KCTU Special Committee to Fight for the Reinstatement of Dismissed Workers, People’s Solidarity for Social Progress, All Together, Human Rights Foundation Saram, Joint Committee for the Construction of a Socialist Party, Hyangrin Church, National Student March, Korea Exposure and Education Program, Public Interest Lawyers’Group Gong-Gam, Incheon Migrants Alliance, Democratic Workers Alliance, Nanum Culture, Workers Liberation Evictees Alliance, Korean Migrant Workers Human Rights Center, Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights in Korea, Joint Committee with Migrants in Korea, Friends of Asia, Korean Teachers and Education Workers’Union, MWTV, Morado Team, Dasan Human Rights Center, MTU.


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 The Migrants Trade Union has been conducting a sit-in protest at Hyangrin Church in Myeongdong since July 13 to protest the South Korean government’s unjust crackdown against undocumented migrant workers. 
MTU’s President began a hunger strike on July 25.
This act is an earnest call for an end to the criminalization of and repression against undocumented migrants’ rights. We ask for you solidarity and support.
 
Please send messages of solidarity to: migrant@jinbo.net*
Please post news of the sit-in protest on your website.
 
 
* On Aug 6th(Fri) 7pm, there is a candlelight vigil against the crackdown in front of the Myeong cathdral(every Friday)