New protest culture

Time to create new rally, public debate site

No question, the million people protesting in downtown Seoul for weeks drove corrupt leader Park Geun-hye from power.

Ironically, the counterprotests by Park’s supporters showed the vibrancy of the nation’s participatory democracy and proved the maturity of its basic tenet — tolerance. It’s no small wonder that the two opposing sides had rallied side by side without clashes, denigrating the past protest culture that was tainted by violence.

Now is the time to take this newly established rally culture to the next level by looking at and addressing side effects such as the complete traffic gridlock throughout the inner city.

On Saturday, Park’s supporters staged mass rallies in central Seoul ahead of the prosecutors’ decision on whether to arrest the former president or not. Now after months of dealing with these types of protests, police efficiently cordoned off streets along the route of the protesters’ march. Of course, even greater traffic congestion occurred during the candlelit protests that were bigger in scale. Among those sealed off was a completely deserted two-way six-lane road in front of Lotte Hotel near City Hall that feeds into three key directions — toward Gwanghwamun, Seodaemun and Namdaemun. In contrast, vehicular traffic on Jongno Boulevard, a key artery that leads downtown from the western parts of the city, turned into one big giant parking lot with thousands of cars stuck in endless lines. Detours by sec- ondary or tertiary access roads overflowed with cars as well. This meant a large number of late arrivals, delayed or canceled appointments, accidents, fights, constant honking of horns, and countless hours of idling.

The key is to eliminate this waste without dampening the spirit of responsible citizenship.

A look at how others deal with this task can be helpful. The Occupy Wall Street movement that kindled the current global wave of disfranchisement with elites started at Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan. The park was used as staging grounds for the “99 Percent” protests in other areas. New York authorities allowed the freedom of assembly as long as it didn’t hurt the city’s law and order. Over 700 protesters were arrested while trying to block the Brooklyn Bridge and the protesters were evicted from the park later.

Britain’s protest and public debate culture, well captured by soapbox speeches, is limited to the northern part of Hyde Park. Agora, an ancient Greek example, didn’t occupy the center of Athens.

Therefore, we need to create a permanent place for public debate and protests in areas, say a park or square, outside the city center, and help people vent their frustration and exchange new ideas. There, the government may take the pulse of the public’s sentiments and reflect them in governance before a blowout.