Martial Law

The US Can Learn From South Koreans Who Stopped An Authoritarian

February 18, 2025 Jungmin Choi, Waging Nonviolence. Strategize! Authoritarianism, DOGE, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Martial Law, South Korea, Trump Administration, Yoon Suk-Yeol

As Elon Musk and his DOGE team set about dismantling government agencies, many Americans expected a strong response from Congressional Democrats. Instead, party leaders offered weak statements and little resistance to being refused entry to the very agencies they are tasked with overseeing. This lack of urgency amid what’s being called an administrative coup stoked a wave of angry calls to “do more.” In their outrage on social media, many pointed to decisive action taken by politicians in other countries facing crisis. For example, someone on BlueSky noted that “South Korean politicians were literally scaling fences to protect their government,” while “our senators are sending out pre-scheduled tweets about the Super Bowl.”

Washington’s (Not So) Strong Man In Seoul Is Defying Arrest

January 7, 2025 In Jeong Kim, Orinoco Tribune. Educate! Coup Attempt, Martial Law, Repression, South Korea, US Imperialism, Yoon Suk-Yeol

On January 3, three days after a South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection and abusing authority, investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office went to the presidential residence to execute the warrant—the first against a sitting president in Korean history. When investigators tried to arrest Yoon, they were confronted by hundreds of his supporters who had camped out to shield him. Following a dramatic five-hour standoff with the presidential security team, who had formed a “human wall” to block the path to Yoon, the investigators eventually retreated. The warrant remains valid until January 6.

South Korea’s Impeachment Fails—What’s Next?

December 10, 2024 Ju-Hyun Park, People's Dispatch. Educate! Impeachment, Martial Law, New Cold War, South Korea, Yoon Seok-Yeol

South Korean President Yoon Seok Yeol remains in power following a much-anticipated impeachment vote in parliament that was scuttled when the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) boycotted the measure. While a handful of PPP lawmakers ultimately broke ranks to support impeachment, a sufficient majority to pass the measure could not be reached. The impeachment vote was held days after Yoon attempted (and failed) to establish martial law in the country. Opposition parliamentarians have vowed to continue impeachment efforts until Yoon’s tenure in office ends.

South Korea’s Martial Law Fiasco

December 8, 2024 K. J. Noh, Counter Punch. Educate! Coup Attempt, Martial Law, Propaganda, South Korea, Yoon Suk-Yeol

In the wake of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s 6-hour coup, Western pundits have opined that this was an affirmation of South Korean democracy’s robustness and resilience, its institutional maturity and strength. This is like saying after a survivor fights off an assault, that this demonstrates a mature state of legal order. Hardly. It signals the opposite. Certainly, it highlights courage, but it isn’t a demonstration of a robust state of rights. It demonstrates a gaping, terrifying lack of order.

People Across US Mobilize In Solidarity With South Koreans

December 6, 2024 People's Dispatch. Resist! International Solidarity, Korean-Americans, Martial Law, South Korea, United States, White House, Yoon Suk-Yeol

People in cities across the US are mobilizing in solidarity with people in South Korea, who are demanding the resignation of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol following his failed attempt to impose martial law. The North America-based Korean diaspora group Nodutdol organized rallies in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco on the night of December 4, which were joined by organizations such as the Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network, Korean Americans for the Progressive Party, the Palestinian Youth Movement, the People’s Forum, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

Calls For Resignation Of Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Grow

December 5, 2024 People's Dispatch. Resist! Democracy, General Strike, Martial Law, Military dictatorship, South Korea, Unions, Worker Rights and Jobs, Yoon Seok-Yeol

Trade unions, political parties, and civil society organizations in South Korea have called for the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol following his attempt to impose martial law. Opposition parties, including the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party, have sponsored a motion in the parliament to impeach Yoon. Thousands participated in a candlelight vigil on Wednesday to demand the same. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the largest trade union confederation in the country, announced that they will stage a general strike until President Yoon steps down.

Support Koreans against Yoon!

December 5, 2024 Workers' World. Resist! Coup Attempt, Coups, Martial Law, Solidarity, South Korea, US Imperialism, Worker Rights and Jobs, Yoon Suk-Yeol

The labor unions and mass organizations of the people of South Korea deserve the support of everyone who wants to struggle against war and dictatorship. They are fighting at this time — Dec. 4, 2024 — to rid the Seoul regime of its autocratic, anti-worker, pro-war President Yoon Suk-Yeol. On Dec. 3 Yoon declared martial law and sent elite troops to seize the National Assembly. His coup attempt failed, and the Congress voted to lift the coup. Yoon’s own cabinet members had dissented in fear of defeat, and Yoon was forced to retreat within hours of his martial law declaration.

South Korea’s Six-Hour Martial Law

December 4, 2024 Kiji Noh, Scheer Post. Educate! Impeachment, Martial Law, North Korea, South Korea

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law, suspended the South Korean legislature and banned elected representatives from accessing the National Assembly building using massive police presence. And then six hours later he rescinded the order. President Yoon had declared in a public address to the Korean people that the move was to protect a “liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements.”

Kiev Issues A New ‘Victory Plan’ For Ukraine Consisting Of Endless War

October 14, 2024 Al Mayadeen, Orinoco Tribune. Educate! Boris Johnson, Elections, Kiev, Martial Law, NATO, Neo-Nazism, Russia, Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, Wars and Militarism

In the second half of September, Ukrainian authorities have been particularly active with foreign policy, against a backdrop of uncertainty over the outcome of the elections to take place in the United States on November 5. Americans will vote for a president on that date, and also for all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 34 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate. The continuation by Ukraine of its military operations against Russia is essential to Kiev’s continued hold on power, but Ukraine is completely dependent financially and militarily on the United States and European Union. Volodymyr Zelensky, whose five-year electoral mandate as president Ukraine expired in April 2024, is under increased pressure by US legislators to present some kind of coherent ‘victory plan’ with dates, figures, and deadlines that can be sold to a largely uninformed but increasingly skeptical US electorate.

Ukraine: The Government And Population Are Increasingly Diverging

February 25, 2024 Dmitri Kovalevich, Orinoco Tribune. Educate! Corruption, Elections, Martial Law, Russia, Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky

On February 6, the Verkhovna Rada (national legislature) of Ukraine voted to endorse the decree issued by President Volodomyr Zelensky to extend martial law for another 90 days. The new decree prolongs martial law until May 13, 2024. This definitively settles that there will be no presidential election in Ukraine by March 31, 2024, the anniversary date of Zelensky’s election in 2019 on a five-year mandate. The Rada likely faces a similar extension of its five-year mandate, which is supposed to expire in July 2024. The election law of Ukraine (English translation here) prohibits holding elections during martial law, and the latter can be prolonged indefinitely provided some semblance of threat can be found and cited.

Expect Police-Military Repression Amid The Crisis of COVID-19 And Its Aftermath

April 12, 2020 Netfa Freeman, Black Agenda Report. Educate! COVID-19, Martial Law, militarism, Police

News stories about the National Guard assisting with the coronavirus have overshadowed stories about US military plans to join police in stopping expected “civil disturbances.” But eyewitness accounts of trains transporting armored vehicles and other equipment into their communities prompted posts to social media about the threat of martial law. The Department of Defense responded with a media defensive to dismiss the concerns as conspiracy theories, sticking to the strict definition of martial law. They assure that the duties of the reserve National Guard personnel are only for things like disinfecting public spaces, delivering food to homes, and erecting provisional medical facilities. Semantic games and a neglect to connect the dots are meant to assuage public concerns.

Will Coronavirus Lead To Martial Law?

April 4, 2020 Sarah Sicard, Military Times. Educate! COVID-19, Martial Law, Military

While the number of cases of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, continues to grow around the country and the globe, lawmakers are considering how best to cut down on the spread of the disease. But the measures being taken have some citizens and service members wondering if martial law may be declared. As of Tuesday, more than 1,500 Guard personnel in 22 states were called up to aid efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 as the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic on March 11, with President Donald Trump following two days later to classify the virus as a national emergency. California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a Sunday presser said that martial law was not necessary to combat coronavirus in his state.

Do Massive Military Exercises In US Violate Posse Comitatus?

June 2, 2015 Ralph Lopez, www.whowhatwhy.org Educate! Imperialism, Martial Law, Wars and Militarism

By Ralph Lopez in WhoWhatWhy - The massive exercise, led by the US Army’s Special Operations Command (USASOC) under Lt. General Charles T. Cleveland, will include unconventional warfare units from all service branches, including US Army Special Forces, US Navy SEALS, US Air Force Special Operations, and USMC Marine Special Operations Command. According to Jade Helm’s official PowerPoint presentation, other participating units are USMC Marine Expeditionary Units, the Army’s 82nd Airborne, and last but not necessarily least, civilian “Interagency Partners.” The latter refers to a range of domestic law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Department of Homeland Security.

Don’t Call It A Curfew: Martial Law In The United States

May 6, 2015 Shahid Buttar, www.truth-out.org Educate! Baltimore, Martial Law, police brutality, Racial Justice, Wars and Militarism

The only things that could make worse the martial law effectively imposed in Baltimore recently were the discrimination and bias apparent in its enforcement. Being Black in Baltimore in recent days meant being imprisoned in your home. And beyond Baltimore, the city's "curfew" neatly encapsulated much of what is wrong in the United States. Driving to City Hall on May 2, I passed a staging area for the National Guard and armored vehicles from police departments across the state of Maryland. The scene resembled an invasion by an armored tank column. The grim presence of military vehicles on a civilian street contrasted sharply with the ebullient mood of the rally and march in which we participated. Drawing over 5,000 people, the May 2 event included large numbers of children and a diverse representation of local communities.

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