Seoul Plaza Closed Again   2008-07-07 03:22

Just like last week, the police cordoned off Seoul Plaza after Saturday night's massive demonstration. Dozens of police buses and thousands of riot police surrounded Seoul Plaza in the afternoon, not allowing anyone to get in. People who were already in the Plaza were not allowed to get out, either. Various NGO's and religious groups had set up tents in the Plaza, and these were forcefully dismantled. The tentless priests and activists, as well as hundreds of citizens trapped in the Plaza, were forced to wear out the hot afternoon on the bare grass.

As the Sun went down, Protestant pastors suggested to the 300 or so people who were still trapped there that they should rally in the Plaza anyway. Led by the pastors, everyone lit candles and circled the Plaza seven times. According to the Old Testament, the city of Jericho fell when the Israelite army circled it seven times. The police barricade didn't miraculously blow up or anything, but the circular march symbolized our thirst for freedom.

Sunday nights are generally quiet as far as protests go, because a lot of us need to get some sleep in order to go to work or school. Also, few citizens have enough energy to demonstrate for two consecutive nights. When the police realized late in the evening that the crowd wasn't going to grow, the barricade was lifted and people were allowed to pass freely once again.

» Comments are Closed.