It's Protest Season!

As I have mentioned before, there are lots of protests going on here in Seoul. When we first arrived, it was all about the importing of American beef, which the people feared would be laced with mad cow disease. We all know this to be false. And as you delve deeper into the matter, you discover that it's really about the new right wing government being installed only three short months ago and the left wing getting mad and finding a cause they can get people to rally around.

That all culminated with a huge protest bringing 80,000 people (by some estimates) to demonstrate literally in front of the theater we are performing in. And the day they chose for the big rally? Opening night for us. There were some worries that we wouldn't be able to do the show and that no one would come. But we still had a full house and only had to start the show 15 minutes late. Needless to say, the people enjoyed the show.

We thought that was the end. Our second night was quiet. The theater and surrounding streets we not covered in police and military in riot gear sitting in formation by their riot buses. We were able to get to and from the hotel in a reasonable amount of time. It was all going well.

But that all changed on the third night. In Europe, they have music festival season. The states have concerts in the park and Shakespeare festivals. But here in Seoul, it's protest season. We imagine conversations in the local noodle houses going something like this:

"Hey Hok, what do you feel like doing after dinner?"

"Ugh, I dunno, what's going on?"

"Let me check the newspaper. There are re-runs of Hogan's Hero's on TV, there's some show called 'Blue Man Group' at the Sejong Center... Oh! I forgot it's protest season! Check it out, tonight they're protesting the re-runs of Hogan's Hero's on TV! We should go!"

"Heck yeah dude! I haven't been to a good protest in a while. Should I bring bricks to throw at the police?"

"Nah, it's just about TV, bring water bottles."

"Cool. Finish your noodles and let's go buy some wood and poster boards and make signs. I'll buy some candles too."

The night of our third show, the people were out protesting to celebrate the anniversary of the death of two school girls who were killed by U.S. soldiers. I've not got the full story, but I'm sure it was an accident.

The night of our 4th show, the military, who support the right wing government, were protesting the protests of the week before about the mad cow disease.

And yesterday, I don't know what people were protesting, but the riot buses and police were outside sitting in formation again.

Today, between shows (we had a matinée) we went to Cold Stone Creamery (yes, there have those here, and Baskin and Robins) and while we were in line to get our ice cream, riot buses pulled up and the police poured out with all their gear.

Here's some shots I snapped with my phone-




Who knows what they are protesting today, but I hope it's over by the time we have to leave. I want to get some noodles!

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