Sewol one-year anniversary

On the way, I found one side of Cheonggyecheon partially blocked off by riot police buses. In order to close the gaps, it took a concentrated effort of inching every bus forward a little bit.

Up at the top of Cheonggyecheon.

This door is not only an exit but also an entrance.

I finally made it to Seoul Plaza which was packed with people of all ages marking the anniversary of the worst disaster in Korea since Sampung.

Old City Hall has had a big sign out front about the sinking for almost a year too. It's very advantageous having a mayoral administration that supports civil protest.

Most of the people attending were sitting.

Along the edges were people standing and waving flags. One of the sitting people yelled at me to stop blocking their view.

From across the plaza, the two city hall buildings are lit up by the stage.

Why would anyone bother paying to have this here during the anniversary?

Also, right after I took this, I noted the news reporter to the left who was propped up on a stepladder giving a report to her TV station. The light went out before I could get a proper picture. She looks like she was wheeled out of storage.

Flowers and ribbons were the symbol of this event, not candles.

Another reporter on a perch.

Is it wrong that I wish I could take a couple of those glowing police lines? They would make great nightlights for my cats for the litter box.

The one white guy seemed to be getting his mourning reaction to the speech recorded by the camera.

Anyone with kids there standing in the light was fair game for photographers.

The music stopped and one of the main fathers stepped on stage to give a speech.

I returned around 11 or 12, to find the streets blocked off all over the place. This is Jongno.

This is the street to Gwanghwamun.

Looking in the opposite direction. We were encircled by riot police.

Cheonggyecheon was divided off as before. This was one of the only routes to get to Gwanghwamun, which worried me because it would be easy for the cops to cut off our retreat.

A mobily police washroom.

This protester tried squeezing between two buses but was stopped by cops.

At the usual site of the Sewol protesters, a shrine was lit by candles.

A petition for establishing an independent investigation.

Gate of Memory.

Earlier I'd scoffed at a vendor selling raincoats. The rain had stopped around 3pm. I forgot that other things than water can rain on protests.

Walking north on Gwanghwamun plaza, we soon rejoined the front lines of the protest.

Others followed quickly after us.

A pretty lousy picture showing the amount of mobilisation on the other side.

Getting the flag ready.

Still on the Sewol, "people" are there.

Zooming in, trying to figure out what was going on with the cops' eyes.

Ah, stickers.

Speeches.

This guy was a Kyung Hee student if I heard correctly.

My cats would love these.

Getting out was complicated. Our original tunnel entrance in was closed, so I had to improvise. Then, turning a street corner, this was not a welcoming view. This is Cheonggyecheon again, but the cops weren't there to block anyone's path.

I love these things, and would happily drive one around, adorned with better stickers or something.

This one was part of a larger police barricade. You can see how a panel on the side can be unfolded to widen the barrier.