Protesters Warm Up for Pyeongtaek Clash
You see, it is possible to hold a peaceful protest and get your message out without attacking policemen:
About 4,000 protestors including activists, workers and student radicals occupied Chongno Street near the American embassy in central Seoul, holding candles as they chanted songs, shouted slogans and waved banners.
Thousands of riot police, backed by fire trucks with water cannons, stood guard over the protest Saturday fearing a repeat of last week’s fighting in Pyongtaek.
Police buses were parked closely together to block all roads to the high-walled US embassy some 100 meters (yards) away.
The protesters carried banners calling for the withdrawal of US troops and an end to the ongoing talks to conclude a free trade agreement with the United States.
Dozens of US military bases in and around Seoul are to be relocated to Pyongtaek, 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of the capital.
Construction is to begin in October but some residents and farmers, backed by anti-US activists, have refused to vacate their houses on the site.
This is just a warm up for the hatefest that is sure to come later this weekend in Pyeongtaek. I doubt there will be many candlelight vigils going on there.
