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Summer Wine
Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Location: Next to a River
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 Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 2:12 am Post subject: It still amazes me, this country. |
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I came home from school today. I live opposite the Government building, I find that the entire Govt carpark is walled of by riot buses. nose to tail all around the carpark. There is no way into the Government area. Each is filled with riot police, there has to be 15-20 buses, there are two buses lined up so you have to drive between to even reach the main building. Inside the carpark are a row of police lined up. The main gates are closed with another row of police blocking the entrance.
I have never seen it like this in my whole life. There are 4 police cars outside and maybe 6 protesters sitting in front of the gate, with maybe 10 more sitting on the grassy strip nearby. Is this overkill or what?  |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:15 am Post subject: |
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From what you describe, it is a typical, average-sized deployment. If you were the commanding officer and had several thousand guys at your disposal, what would you do with them to fill up their day? There are only so many times in a day that you can have them make their bed. May as well send them out. It's better that they stand around un-used that to be in the barracks and a demonstration get unexpectedly out of hand and you get in trouble.
I suggest you chat some of them up. A good number welcome the break from routine boredom. |
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SuperHero
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Superhero Hideout
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:53 am Post subject: |
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You should've been here in '97 every subway exit was lined up like that as well as many university front gates. It brings tears to my eyes to remember moments like that.
In '97 the tears were literal (tear gas) |
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skinhead
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 4:09 am Post subject: |
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| Remember when chongno ii ga subarcade was airconditioned to share the pleasant fumes? Going down below only meant you didn't have a breeze to rinse your eyes in. *sniff* the good ol days |
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Privateer
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Location: Easy Street.
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:15 am Post subject: |
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| Think perhaps they'll realise the days of violent mass demonstrations are past after, say, another 5 years? Nah... |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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| SuperHero wrote: |
You should've been here in '97 every subway exit was lined up like that as well as many university front gates. It brings tears to my eyes to remember moments like that.
In '97 the tears were literal (tear gas) |
Good times, good times. They really knew how to riot back then. |
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SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Excuse my pig-ignorance, but what are they protesting about, these bloody protesters? |
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supernick
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Excuse my pig-ignorance, but what are they protesting about, these bloody protesters? |
They want to be heroes, just for one day.
Tiger Beer posted a link to show how the tiot police have acted in the past. I think it would be a good idea to protest about the riot police, as the link showed video clips that were truly appauling. |
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seoulkitchen
Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Location: Hub of Asia, my ass!
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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| They want to be heroes, just for one day. |
excellent reply to someone who has a Bowie avatar.
Moments like that make Dave's worth it.
(Now I'm gonna have that song stuck in my head all day....and that's a good thing.) |
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SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:25 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah good one, SuperNick. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 9:04 am Post subject: |
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| supernick wrote: |
| Tiger Beer posted a link to show how the riot police have acted in the past. |
Well I don't want to re-hash this whole argument from that thread, but have you seen how uni students rioted in the past? Maybe someone should dig around for some video clips of that...
But back to the OP- stating the obvious here but it must be standard policy to show up to any potential demonstration with overwhelming force. It makes sense for another reason as well- what else are you going to do with your huge force of conscripted riot police? Keep them in the barracks day in day out? March up and down hills? Sleep in buses?
This would explain an interesting sit down demonstration I saw in Inchon back in the day- it appeared to consist mostly of ajummas and milk ladies (you know the ones in yellow with the yellow carts) sitting down and chanting in front of the Inchon Dept Store. There were maybe a couple hundred of them at the most, and I have no idea what they were protesting (the increased price in support hose or sun visors at the dept store is as good a guess as any), and of course they were surrounded on all sides by about 10 buses worth of riot cops plus a bunch of regular uniforms. Don't know what happened bvecause I left before the it eneded, but everyone involved on both sides looked totally bored except for 1 or 2 of the more vocal ajummas.
Typical scenes; somebody should paint them and hold a 'Korean urban landscapes' exhibit. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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| supernick wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Excuse my pig-ignorance, but what are they protesting about, these bloody protesters? |
They want to be heroes, just for one day.
Tiger Beer posted a link to show how the tiot police have acted in the past. I think it would be a good idea to protest about the riot police, as the link showed video clips that were truly appauling. |
I would prefer to protest against the protesters. They have done some horrible things in the past! |
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Universalis
Joined: 17 Nov 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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As others have said, it's done to somehow justify their existance. It's like when bureaucrats use their entire budget - even when they don't have to - just to prove the necessity of it...
Brian |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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Universalis,
Love the avitar and the sig. ... it reminds me of Groucho saying "I'd never want to join any club that would have me as a member."  |
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Summer Wine
Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Location: Next to a River
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| Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 12:28 am Post subject: |
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I realised the other day, that it was 2 days before Chusok. I now believe it was no more than an extended holiday for them. I looked at the building yesterday, it was 3/4 empty and only 3 riot buses and no protesters.
I need to introduce that idea to my country. |
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