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YESTERDAY’S STRUGGLE REPORT (서울 11.04)
Yesterday was a day full with struggle against capitalist oppression and exploitation here.
The beginning made the striking street vendors. National Federation of Street Vendors (NFSV) called in protest of Soul municipality’s policy of driving away everyone who could “disturb” the picture of a “modern” city. Actually at least since Seoul’s mayor Lee Myeong-bak got the idea from a extreme modernized Seoul, worth living just for the ruling (capitalist) class, no matter who they are - poor or ordinary people, street vendors, disabled people or just homeless people – everyone is threaten with drive away from the center of the city.
Especially street vendors, who have a long history in Seoul’s townscape and are extremely depend on using downtown’s sidewalks for their small businesses, are sometimes trodden worse than animals and if they resist the drive away the city municipality help them self to criminal gangster gangs, actually the same case such as people who are defending their homes. For example last year November 30 a heavy street battle lasted the whole night in Cheongyecheon street downtown Seoul. Hundreds of criminal gangsters, backed by large units of riot cops, attacked street vendors who just wanted to defend their basis of existence.
Cheonggyecheon is one of the favorite projects of Seoul’s mayor. Here they are already on the way to reconstruct a stream decades ago they filled up to build a main road there.
So the main issue of the mass rally, around 1000 street vendors - once again no supporters joined (Why? Nearly everyone is enjoying their services but nobody wants to support their struggle...) participated, held yesterday in the early afternoon in downtown’s Jongmyo Park was Seoul’s municipality policy of drive away.
After the rally a powerful demonstration took the streets downtown Seoul and blocked for more than one hour the traffic and nearly nothing was going anymore there.
The final destination was a small shopping amusing street between Jongno (between Jongno 2-ga 3-ga on the left side when you come from Jongmyo) and and Cheonggyecheon. Here several in the NFSV organized street vendors are staging a sit-in struggle against the policy of driving away. Here the massive final rally were held.
Cheonggyecheon - exactly the reason why street vendors and people who defend their
houses have the same problems (and when we are not able to stop construction mafia’s plans
they’ll have same black future!)
Actually nearly on the same time in Gwanghwamun Citizen Park unionized professors were protesting against S. Korean education policy, for fundamental reforms in the universities and regular contracts for “part time” professors and against privatization of the education. After a small short rally they wanted to build a tent for a planned sit-in strike. Actually already two sit-in struggle collectives are now since 4 days in hunger strike: a group of striking bank and peasants (here an Korean article about the peasant’s struggle). How it ended you can see some pictures later. And here you can read the Korean article about the story.
The bank employees sit-in struggle collective
No, it’s not a cemetery!
Meanwhile Jongno-gu district office ordered...
yeah, exactly: criminal gangsters
to "clear up" the rest.
The tent of the peasants struggle collective
While just some meters away...
...riot cops are attacking supporters of the university teachers...
...Jongno-gu district office criminals...
...destroyed the tent of the peasants
But as we had to learn: It cames even better! On Yeouido near the National Assembly it was a lot happening y'day: more sit-in struggles were created and attacks by the riot cops reported.
사진: 민중의소리
Activists against National "Security" Law (read an earlier article abou that here) staged the next sit-in strike. An article about the yesterday's action you can read here in Korean.
RELEASE ALL MIGRANT WORKERS FROM DETENTION CENTERS!
FREEDOM FOR ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS IN S. KOREA…
AND EVERYWHERE!
LET’S FIGHT TOGETHER FOR A WORLD
WITHOUT EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION!
ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE, ONLY
IF YOU WANT AND FIGHT FOR IT!
WE’VE NOTHING TO LOSE EXCEPT OUR CHAINS!
한국의 모든 양심수들의 석방을 위해 투쟁
착취와 억압이 없는 그날을 위해 투쟁
당신이 그걸 원하고 그것을 위해
투쟁한다면 다른 세상은 가능하다, ! 투쟁!
우리가 잃을 건 억압밖에 없다!
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11.08/Last week's struggle report 
