MPs spend nine days reading aloud from internet comments and George Orwell's 1984 to block a law
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Version 0 of 1. Politicians in South Korea have attempted to block a law by talking for 193 hours. The marathon filibuster lasted nine days and included passages from George Orwell’s novel 1984 being read aloud. Some also read out news articles and online comments in a bid to block the bill. The legislation was an anti-terrorism bill which some MPs argued would limit personal freedoms. Filibustering is a tactic used by politicians to forcibly block a bill by talking continually in a legislative chamber until the consideration time for the legislation expires. 38 politicians took part in the filibuster, which began on 23 February, with some wearing trainers to help them stay on their feet during the prolonged session and refusing to drink liquids in order to reduce their toilet breaks and enable them to spend more uninterrupted time in the chamber. They had intended to continue until 10 March, the required date in order to successful block the legislation. However, the MPs only lasted until 1 March, after which they admitted defeat and the bill was passed. With additional reporting by AP |