LAST WEEK’S STRUGGLE REPORT (Seoul, 9.27)

First of all: on last Monday it was raining cats and dogs, so “Every Monday Solidarity Concert” was cancelled – what a pity.
On Wednesday, September 22, the striking construction workers, occupied for nearly 300 days beside us the Myeong-dong cathedral’s compound, had their final struggle rally, because they were able to finish the strike. Caused of their strength of will the opposite side was forced to meet their demands. The rally around 200 people, mainly activists from other in the KCTU organized trade unions, but also student groups like NOHAK (Student Solidarity for the Liberation of Labor, sure they mean the workers) and political organizations such as Democratic Labor Party joined. The impressive culture program was performed by Song Factory, Ji Min-joo and others.
On Thursday Dr. Rajiv C. Narayan International Secretariat of Amnesty International (ai) visited our struggle place. As we already reported some month ago ai was sending a open letter to the speaker of the new elected National Assembly with the request for an answer. But because an answer is still to come Mr. Narava is here to check it on the spot. By the way, he told that that would be the first time the history, that they also demanded rights for migrant workers.
For the evening ETU organized for us a beautiful surprise: a long culture night. After our weekly struggle rally, on that day a little shorter as usual, delicious food and drinks (non-alcoholic!!) was served. A while later the culture program started. The audience, than 160 people, mainly students from many of Seoul’s universities, but also trade union activists, like K.F.C.I.T.U. were able to follow a impressive program, performed by many of our comrades and friends.

Photos by Kim Yeong-oon

The program lasted until 11 pm, including a final Korean traditional mass dance, where we all participated. After the official program we’d a nice getting together, where we’d again some delicious food and drinks (here you can see more impressive pictures about the event). THANKS A LOT TO ALL THE COMRADES, WHO MADE THE EVENT POSSIBLE!!
On Friday afternoon one representative joined the rally for the release of Lee Dong-soo (about the case we reported already here). About 200 activists of NFUP (National Federation of Urban Poor) gathered in front of Jong-no-gu police station and protested against the imprisonment of comrade Lee. As a gesture of solidarity it was really great to hear and read that in the final declaration beside other demands, the rally participants also demanded the stop of crackdown and work visa for migrant workers. THANKS A LOT COMRADES!!
In the night three migrant workers joined the Movie Night in Ilsan/Pung-dong. Members of Struggle and Rice/NO BREAK organized a beautiful event where we were able to see documentaries about the struggle of people who defend their residential areas/quarters, like the movie “Sanggye-dong Olympic” (about the struggle of the people from Sanggye-dong against the demolition of their residential area in the years around the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988), a short documentary movie about the struggle of Pung-dong residents and a long documentation about our struggle (“The Undocumented are Documented”, directed by Joo Hyeon-sook). Beside the great music of “acomda” band, several speeches our Nepalese comrade Pratith sung also several songs accompanied by some members of “acomda” – really great!
On the whole just a great week full with great events!

Here some impressions from Thursday’s culture festival in Myeong-dong, shot by our Nepalese comrade Bom

RELEASE ALL MIGRANT WORKERS FROM DETENTION CENTERS!
FREEDOM FOR ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS IN S. KOREA!
LET’S FIGHT TOGETHER FOR A WORLD WITHOUT EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION!
ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE, ONLY IF YOU WANT AND FIGHT FOR IT!