More Violent Protests Expected This Weekend
South Korea is about to miss another excellent opportunity to enforce the rule of law against an expected violent protest at Camp Humphreys. This report isn’t terribly encouraging, however. The Korean government not only seems more interested in protecting the instigators of violence than the law, it is bringing along the Human Rights Commission(!) to police the police:
The National Police Agency said yesterday it would limit contact between activists and riot police at a rally scheduled for Sunday to protest the relocation of United States Forces Korea bases to southern Gyeonggi province.
The Pan-South Korea Solution Committee Against U.S. Base Extension in Pyeongtaek, the rally organizer, earlier announced that 5,000 people would participate in the protest near the U.S. Camp Humphries in Pyeongtaek.
To prevent violent clashes, police in full riot gear would be inside the U.S. base, police said, and uniformed officers would patrol outside with observers from the National Human Rights Commission. At a similar rally last July, hundreds of protesters and police were injured in scuffles.
The Nomad published some great pictures of last summer’s “rallies”–really, premeditated riots–here and here.
Now, I agree that the Korean cops can be excessively rough at times, and I’m not advocating police brutality, but I feel the need to point out that several of those injured in last summer’s protests were actually riot police caught on the wrong side of the fence and beaten by Red Guards. I can understand, if not condone, the urge of some of the riot police to literally leave some lasting impressions on the bastards who hurt their friends and comrades. The riot police are conscripts performing mandatory national service, and are often actually just nice, regular kids when you meet them.
The real answer, however, is to confiscate sticks, bottles, rocks, and weapons before the protest begins, to haul away everyone who commits an act of violence, to prosecute them, and to impose stiff sentences that will grab the public’s attention. Yes, shallow thinkers will whine and bitch and call them political prisoners, but most of the civilized world understands the difference between expressing an opinion and being a thug. For those who do not, let this be the opportunity to teach an essential lesson about how the rule of law protects peaceful civil discourse.