Reversing the barricades
It is interesting - but perhaps already a cliche - to note how over the last decade or so the barricades have been reversed and police forces around the world have become experts in stacking shipping containers to protect places of power and privilege in the same way that the Parisian working class became experts in a similar art during the course of the 19th century.
Paris, June 1848
Seoul, June 2008 (source: OhMyNews)
Of course, one of the consequences of putting all your energy into protecting a centre of power (on this occasion protecting the presidential palace Chongwadae from an anti-government march hundreds of thousands strong) in such a way is that you effectively give up the rest of the city to the protesters. As a police force you also cause yourself other problems such as a lack of mobility. I experienced some of this when I took part in the first of the big beef protest marches on Thursday 29 May. Since the police had decided to take up a position ‘protecting’ the Kwanghwamun junction and other approaches to Chongwadae from the march using their buses, they had blocked themselves in and could go nowhere else. This gave the march the freedom of the city and we wandered apparently aimlessly for a couple of hours, taking over the central streets and no doubt causing traffic chaos. And as I write this, the sea of candle bearing protesters some 500,000 strong has begun to march away from the police barricades, refusing, for the time being to confront directly the metal wall thrown up hastily by the powers that be to protect themselves.
Another consequence is that protesters are able to use the barricades themselves for expressions of protest and humour:
Seoul, June 2008 (source: OhMyNews)
Palestine, 2005 (www.banksy.co.uk)
These are great example!! what is exactly parisian pic about is this art? i still dont know what ppl are going to achieve after all this expression in Korea tho.
Comment by jooyoung — June 12, 2008 @ 1:53 am
The picture from Paris is a real photograph of the aftermath of the revolution in 1848. The June Revolution was one of the first workers’ uprisings anywhere in the world and Marx wrote about it in his famous ‘Eighteenth Brumaire’.
Yes, I agree it is difficult to tell what will be achieved by this protest movement just yet. It will be hard to topple 2MB however much people might want to, but if they can at least prevent him from carrying out some of his more harmful policies such as privatisation and the grand canal project then I think the struggle will have been worthwhile.
Comment by kotaji — June 12, 2008 @ 9:41 am
OK. its trace of aftermath then.it looks v.true art to me. thanks i will look into Marx’s stuff. i still amazed by this container. it is very clever piece by the police i have to say: this head of police guy must have been far too experienced in shutting down protesters.
YES. i can never undertand about internal affairs esp 2MB I must say. and the grand canal project that shouldnot happen in this small land.
Comment by jooyoung — June 14, 2008 @ 12:42 am
How long will it be before protesters themselves start using containers as forts?
Comment by a very public sociologist — June 17, 2008 @ 1:57 pm
Very interesting and intriguing comparison. The pics are excellent.
Comment by tim shorrock — June 26, 2008 @ 3:06 am