Seattle is the site of the third round of FTA talks between the US and Korea, and what are trade talks involving Korea without the chance of two legged BBQ’s? That’s right the farmers are set to go to Seattle:
More than 100 South Korean farmers and activists will go to Seattle next week to stage rallies against a free trade agreement (FTA) between Seoul and Washington, a chief organizer told Yonhap News Agency yesterday.
They say they will be non-violent and cite the earlier 50 person protest in Washington DC. I am not so sure.
First the farmers have a history of violent protests in Korea and now abroad in light of the Hong Kong arrests last year. Further Seattle has the dubious distinction as the site of the “Battle of Seattle” brought on in part, one must honestly say, by the politics in the area (to be polite). One must wonder if the 100 will combine forces with other anti-globalization groups and have a explosive synergistic effect.
I would really hate to be Seattle riot cop right now.
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I was there during the inaugural globophobe dustup. If anything, I think those cops liked busting anarchist heads. No doubt the heads of Korean “farmers” would feel just as sweet as the baton connects.
why would the U.S. even grant visas to these farmers?
Non-violent, eh? So the clubbing to be expected is a non-violent thing, which means…whatever their definition is of violence is best left in the imagination. =)
I to was present (but down at Ft. Lewis) during the “battle” and watched intently on non-stop local news coverage.
1) The Seattle PD has absolutely NO PROBLEMS with breaking skulls.
2) If ANYTHING WTO style happens like last time. I HIGLY doubt the farmers will instigate or initiate the problems. We have PLENTY of anarchists in the Seattle Area who LOVE to raise hell. If anything, I would predict the farmers will “join in” AFTER the mayhem begins.
3) Lot of KOREANS live and work in that part of the country (actually Asians in general) - and whats “bad for business is BAD for BUSINESS!” So don’t be surprized if a counter protest errupts from the Korean-American side. There is a HUGE difference in attitudes between a capitolist Korean-American vs. a native Korean Farmer.
From EFL Geek: “why would the U.S. even grant visas to these farmers?”
It’s relatively easy for a Korean male over 35 years old with a little money in the bank to get a US visa. What the US embassy in Seoul should do is request the ROK government provide them a list of these farmers and deny their visas. That would be the smart thing to do.
But the US embassy has other priorities such as scrutinizing the valid visa requests of Korean women who have married US military members or expats and trying to prohibit all Korean females (aged 18-50) out of the US at the request of the ROK government lest they become employed in the adult entertainment industry or, even worse, get involved with a barbarian.
Unless any of these farmers are females under the age of 50, they will all get US visas.
I remember that a 64-Year old Korea man I met got turned down for a US Tourist Visa.
It was very strange because he was going there on a tourist package with a group of friends who all got the Visa.
He went up for the interview and explained that he was a retired business man who used to hire construction equipment to bridge and dam building contractors. It was all true too.
I felt sorry for him because he had never travelled outside of East Asia before and had always had a fasination with the U.S.
So his friends went without him and he vowed never to apply for a tourist Visa again.
I just reminded myself of a second story.
A Greek-Cypriot Communist supporting friend of mine went to protest at a G8 meeting in Genoa where there was a big riot a few years ago.
He explained to me that he was quick enough to outrun the police when they charged the protestors but they arrested his 68-year old activist Granddad and threw him in a cell for the night.
Apparently his Granddad was dead proud about it when he got back to Cyprus.
Gee, aren’t these poor Korean farmers subsidized by the government and protected by tariffs?