Pro-Palestinian demonstrations occurred Saturday in downtown Seoul, directly across from Gwanghwamun Square. The peaceful protests were part of a more considerable Asia-Pacific Region effort to mark the International Day of Action for Gaza on Aug. 3.
Weekly rallies occur on Saturday afternoons in Seoul, by the SK Seorin building at 1 p.m., and outside the nearby Kyobo Bookstore across from Gwanghwamun at 2 p.m.
"SK" in South Korean business stands for "Sunkyong." The Sunkyong Group is one of South Korea's largest family-owned conglomerates.
The International Day of Action for Gaza on Aug. 3 was to show solidarity with Palestinians all around the world who are dedicated to highlighting Israeli crimes and violations of Palestinian prisoners' rights and the continuing genocide in Gaza.
Further protests are expected in Seoul through late August.
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Regarding the large images/posters: Ismail Haniyeh (1962-2024) was a Palestinian politician who was the political leader of Hamas, the organization that has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007. He was murdered by Israeli Defense Forces in Tehran (where he was attending the inauguration of the newly-elected President of Iran Masoud) on July 31, 2024. Iran has promised retribution.
I am publishing this article by Michael Kennedy, but want to emphasize that while Netanyahu's government's actions should be condemned as a crime against humanity, we do not support or recognize Hamas in any way. History shows us that everyone has contributed to creating something dreadfully wrong in this region.
However, peace can only be achieved through peaceful means. I believe that the demonstrations are right, even if, after the strong protests against the war in Iraq, my hopes have collapsed.
On February 15, 2003, over 100 million people in almost a thousand cities worldwide expressed their opposition to the 'permanent global war' initiated by then-US President George W. Bush. The demonstration was a collective statement of 'No to war without ifs and buts’. The failure of the movement showed that everything is driven by economic interests that people can hardly resist.
If people take the time to inform themselves and refrain from spreading hateful comments on social media without real knowledge of the reality, perhaps the world would still have a chance for peace… and love. BH
