An interview with South Korean activist Dopehead Zo, by Sarah Lazare, Marina Sitrin, David Solnit and Asha Colazione.

The anti-G8 mobilizations have been bringing together inspiring organizers and activists from all over the world. Japanese precarious temp workers, calling themselves “Freeters”, South Korean anti-military base organizers, Spanish media activists, Farm workers from Via Campesina, Australian human rights activists, German direct action organizers, and many others from North America, Asia, and Europe, have all come together to share stories, struggles, ideas, and to network and plan actions. At The Counter G8 International Forum in Tokyo, we met one organizer whose story is so compelling we needed to share it as soon as possible. The following is a selected transcription of our conversation.

Korean farmers take lemming-like plunge into Hong Kong harbour

Jonathan Watts in Hong Kong
Wednesday December 14, 2005
Guardian

In a bizarre waterborne protest yesterday, hundreds of South Korea's notoriously militant farmers stripped off to their boxer shorts, donned orange lifejackets and leapt into Hong Kong harbour in a back-door attempt to sink the world trade talks.

The lemming-like assault came amid an opening day demonstration that, contrary to the organisers' worst fears, saw only minor scuffles with ranks of riot police blocking the road to the conference centre.