Today a series of protests kicked off in Tasksim, a central section of Istanbul about 10 minutes from our apartment.  I swung by and grabbed some photos of the aftermath, but the tear gas was still so heavy in the air your eyes sung.

You can read more about the protests here, here, and here.

So far the news is basically that there are in fact protests and the police are using tear gas and water cannons.

I just had to switch rooms at work because there’s so
much tear gas in the air. The police are chasing anarchists up and down Istiklal with tanks and guns. Holy shit.

Looks like the extremely impassioned politics in Korea are not just limited to the street.  Check out this video of members of Seoul’s Nation Assembly brawling.

Here is an expert from a comment that tries to put the whole thing into context.  I have no idea if its true, but I sure hope so.

“Basically, this is just a Korean version of filibuster, nothing more.

The conservative coalition has a clear majority that so-called "progressives" are pretty much powerless nowadays… but

The ultimate power that the minority party has is to lock up the parliament and prevent any law from getting passed until the end of the session. This is supposed to force compromise between the ruling party and the minority party, just like what a filibuster would do in the US senate.

However, rather than forming a compromise among the parties, what usually happens is a brawl… or more like zergling rush.

While the minority parties’ members try to block the entrance to the parliament, the ruling majority will try to storm into the chamber, break the barricade, and read the proposal and pass the law in a short time.

But does it end once they break the barricade? Nope. This is when the majority becomes defensive and the minority becomes offensive.

Here, the minority would be able to prevent the law from getting passed if they can steal the gavel from the speaker’s podium. That’s why you get second battle inside the chambers once the barricade is broken….

It’s always fun to watch these.. And after each brawl, some media outlets will show the battle maps and each parties’ strategic notes and explain where the turning point in the battle was.

a black belt in any martial arts is recommended, though not required, for politicians here.”

Once again for emphasis: “the minority would be able to prevent the law from getting passed if they can steal the gavel from the speaker’s podium“.

Update:

This appears to be one of the media complied “battle maps”.

Awesome.

From Korea Beat: Riot police training in Gyeonggi-do to battle protestors with bamboo poles and spears.

Just a week ago, Seoul’s upscale Myeong-dong area brimmed with foreign tourists, shopping bags and vendors. Last night, as torn-up pieces of the cobblestone pedestrian mall hurtled through streaking tear gas, the scene was entirely different.

Police Intimidation

We arrived entirely unprepared for the situation that unfolded– half-packed for what was supposed to be a refreshing weekend retreat in the beach town Sokcho, we found ourselves flung into a mosh-pit of press, anarchists and riot police. Dashing into the fray with a camera, I managed to capture the stoning. In the following clip you can see the anonymous protesters tossing granite slabs, first at the heads of riot police, then their legs, preventing them from simultaneously defending both areas.

Having Trouble? Try a lower quality version here.

The police occasionally lost composure, returning rocks at the protesters. In one such incident, an errant rock tossed from the front line impacted the reporter in front of me, who doubled over out of breath and apparently unconscious.

Having Trouble? Try a lower quality version here

Myeong-dong contrasted sharply with our experience earlier in Jongno, where, despite using heavy intimidation, riot police captured and detained protesters peaceably. We will bring you more on these events, Myeong-dong, and continuing developments as we follow the demonstrations into their second day (despite being warned to stay away).

The other day I saw some Riot cops in Myeongdong.  It looked pretty cool so I took this video.