South Korean police: US trade deal rally turns violent

[The Northerner]

Source: Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean police say nearly 40 officers were injured during a rally opposing the ratification of the country's free trade deal with the United States.

Hundreds of protesters have been staging near-daily demonstrations since the ruling party railroaded the U.S. trade deal last week. The protesters believe the deal favors Washington over South Korean workers.

About 2,200 people rallied in Seoul on Saturday evening. Police say some of them punched and kicked officers trying to disperse the crowd.

Police say the violence left 38 officers injured. Most of the injuries were minor, but it was the most police casualties at a single rally since June.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hSlIq8EUk0o7LiBIrvsPDgiN_HKg

[limpyhobbler]

1. These trade deals are bad for workers and consumers in both Korea and the USA

The U.S. trade deals with Korea, Panama, and Columbia will be very negative for 99% of the people living in the U.S. and also in Korea, Panama, and Columbia.

The pacts will make it more difficult, in some cases impossible, for national or local governments to enact laws that would protect their workers, consumers and environments. Corporations will be able to challenge those laws as "trade barriers" and have them overturned.


Here is a 5 minute video of Amy Goodman with some people at OWS who are talking about this issue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykZ2nB7yu-c

[ellisonz]

2. To be honest...

...by South Korean standards that's still pretty tame.

Tens of thousands of protesters chanting "Lee Myung-bak go away" clogged the streets of central Seoul in a candlelight rally attended by mothers toting children, radical labor groups, office workers and college students.

Police sealed off roads in the capital, stacking sand-filled shipping containers to block the main street leading to the presidential Blue House and deployed high-pressure water cannons to disperse any violent protesters.

Organizers said 700,000 gathered in Seoul for the largest anti-Lee rally to date. Police put the number at 80,000 while some local media estimated the crowd at 200,000 to 400,000.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=90a46dc0-e0f0-4753-abd6-1fcf21b3b276

Pics from the anti-US Beef Protests: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/06/south_korean_protests_over_us.html

Do not click if you cannot handle graphic images: http://www.who-sucks.com/people/the-exciting-world-of-south-korean-protests

I've never been to Korea, but I know a few Koreans and have watched a couple Margaret Cho specials :shrug:

Sounds like anarchists if they're attacking the police.

[lbrtbell]

3. No, that's just how S. Koreans protest

They don't screw around with wimpy peaceful protests. You mess with South Koreans, you pay for it in blood. I say we ship people like Lt. Pike to Seoul, and show him what it's like to NEED pepper spray. Then maybe they'd appreciate America's peaceful protesters more.

[fasttense]

4. Losing American sovereignty one "free" trade deal at a time.

And these "free" trade deals also cause South Korea to lose their sovereignty. You know who gains our lost sovereignty? Corporations and banksters.

[The Last Blue Dog]

5. Free trade is a good thing. But it doesn't take thousands of pages of bureaucratese

to define FREE.

Perhaps the S. Koreans actually read their copy of the agreement and now realize that.

[FreakinDJ]

7. Since the deal is Extremely Lopsided in favor of S Korea

they should appreciate every thing Wall St is trying to do for them

Unappreciative Working Class Bitches

[Lasher]

6. Maybe they realize they'll have to give up their union benefits

so they can compete with low paid non-union US workers.

[lonestarnot]

8. Yep.