hankyoreh

The candles lightening up the area in front of Seoul City Hall have been growing in number. The 72-hour relay protest that began on June 6 filled Seoul City Hall Plaza and the wide Sejongno boulevard with 200,000 people (the official police estimate was 65,000), despite obstructive tactics from conservative elements. Many young people are present, having been a big part of the protests from the start, but older generations are also participating: their parents and even their grandparents. There are farmers that have come to Seoul from the countryside, mothers pushing strollers, and even members of an online “plastic surgery club” and other demographics you do not usually see at street protests. It would be safe to say that all generations and social groups are taking up candles.

These candles that have been burning for more than a month now, demonstrating the potential for a more participatory democracy. Popular sentiment at the protests and online maintains that an administration that styles itself as the country’s “servant” has betrayed their wishes. These people have made direct democracy something real, by taking action to demonstrate the self-evident fact that the “sovereignty of the Republic of Korea resides in the people.” Citizens armed with level-thinking and democratic communication have, in the course of confrontations with the police, never been excessively heroic or heartbroken. When shot with water cannons they brought rain clothes and water guns, and when they were arrested they enjoyed their “tour of the chicken coop,” [chicken coop being a reference to riot police busses with wire mesh on the windows], this while still making their demands known, in what has been a fine demonstration of mature civic consciousness and behavior.

Since late June 6, however, protests have been growing violent. People have been breaking windows on riot police busses, and some people have appeared with steel pipes. Instead of calling for a better deal on American beef, slogans have been about ousting the Lee Myung-bak administration. Many blame this escalation on the Lee administration because it has thoroughly ignoring the peaceful demands of the people. Citizens have used peaceful protests to call for a renegotiation for more than a month now, yet on June 6th Lee repeated the position that there will not be any renegotiating the deal. Maybe it should come as no surprise that citizens who have been protesting all night display their anger and frustration at the governments refusal to renegotiate.

Nonetheless, it must not be forgotten that it has been because of the moral strength of nonviolent movements that these protests have won widespread sympathy. Violence is all the more dangerous if you consider how violent protests are used by governments as justification for their drastic suppression. Given the recent situation, the goal to achieve renegotiation is not all that far off in the distance, and giving the government an excuse would only make the situation a more difficult one. Frustrated as people may feel at the moment, they need to be patient and maintain the spirit of nonviolence.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]