Police Violence   2008-06-02 01:01

It's hard to keep up with all the terrible stories that appear on the net, especially with the mainstream media showing little interest in the struggles of the People. In addition, the Police has been trying hard to keep cameras away from violent scenes -- which leaves individual testimonies as our only source of truth.

The number of protesters vary by night (candlelight protests are held from dusk till dawn), but it is said that between 5,000 and 50,000 people gather in downtown Seoul every evening. Riot police have been deployed since May 24 to break up the gatherings, and the number of police personnel is estimated to be around 10,000. In some areas, "law enforcement" is clearly outnumbered. So arrives the water cannon.

Water cannons are basically modified fire trucks. They produce heavy jets of water at a speed of over 100km'h (60mph). While the police describes the use of water cannons as a safe method of crowd control, we are already seeing dozens of serious injuries from the use of these devices since June 1. At least one person has been blinded after being hit with the jet of water in the face, and another reports ear damage. According to police guidelines, water cannons must be used at a distance of at least 20 meters (65ft); however, photographs from the scene show their use at face-to-face conditions. A heavy jet of water at such speed and proximity can hurt as badly as a strong man's baton, and even more so because unlike a blunt object, the jet of water can enter body cavities and cause injuries deep inside. This method of suppression is absolutely unacceptable, especially when the protesters hold nothing but a candlestick in their hands. If they wanted to put out the little flames, a water gun would have sufficed!

Besides the water cannon, police officers have been sighted beating unarmed protesters on many occasions. Not only able-bodied men but women, the disabled, teenagers in school uniforms, and senior citizens have also been victims of police violence. Here is a video footage of the violence, courtesy of a brave reporter who apparently managed to keep his camera turned on. Also circulating on the internet are photographs of women and teenagers bleeding after being attacked by police officers. There are also reports of a death owing to police violence, but these reports have yet to be confirmed.

In addition, the police has also made over 500 arrests at candlelight protests during the past week. Most of those who were arrested have been released within 48 hours, which means that the police could not find criminal charges to lay against them. This only deepens the suspicion that the police would not have been justified in arresting them in the first place, and that the only reason for arresting them was that the police needed an excuse to remove them from the demonstrations. Many high-school students were among those arrested and subsequently released, and we are concerned that important procedures have been omitted in the arrest of these youngsters.

Nonetheless, citizens remain peaceful in their protests. A few individuals have displayed aggression against the police, but the predominant sentiment is that if there is going to be violence, the police and the government are going to be responsible for it. We still have but candles in our hands; and our pickets, unlike the police shields, are not for beating someone else.

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