Saturday, July 19, 2008
BLACK FRIDAY RALLY
The presence of anti-riot police force and firetrucks at the corner of Morayta Street and C.M. Recto Avenue yesterday surprised me. I had no idea there was a planned protest march to Mendiola by militant students.
And although I knew they wouldn't get to Mendiola beyond this point -- as is usually the case during any weekday -- I decided to stick around to take some video clips of the approaching march. As it turned out, this particular rally was different from the previous ones I had covered. The presence of imminent danger made it so.
What happened was, while the protesters neared the corner of C.M. Recto Avenue where the police had formed a human barricade to block their path, the fireman assigned to one of the firetrucks inadvertently released the water off the nozzle atop his truck. Many protesters in front, including some members of the police force got sprayed with water.
In reaction, the protesters got enraged; thinking it was an aggressive tactic by the police to thwart their march. And that was the scene where my video clip started (below).
I must commend the top police officials on the scene who tried to calm the incensed youths by telling them that it was a mistake that the water was released on them. The other officials, on the other hand, ordered their men not to hit anyone with their sticks -- that maximum tolerance was to be exercised. Thus, a highly volatile situation was diffused.
It was only today that I learned this rally was dubbed Black Friday; the aim of which was to call for the junking of the oil deregulation law and for a rollback of tuition rates. But nonetheless, while at the scene yesterday, all I could think of was these young peoples' intense passion to join such protest marches despite the risk of getting their heads smashed in by the sticks wielded by the anti-riot police force.
Again, kudos to both the protesters and the policemen for allowing a calm predicament to prevail at the peak of this intensely volatile situation.
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Related links:
Militants urge students to leave classrooms and join Black Friday rally
- GMA News
Militants urge students to leave classrooms and join Black Friday rally
- GMA News
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Please note:
Thank you!
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Labels: Political Rally
posted by Señor Enrique at 9:48 AM
| 4 comments
Sunday, July 13, 2008
STUDENT PROTEST AT MORAYTA
Student Protest
July 10, 2008
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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!
*
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!
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Labels: Political Rally
posted by Señor Enrique at 5:11 PM
| 8 comments
Friday, June 27, 2008
A DELUGE IN JUNE PROTEST RALLY
In yesterday's protest action dubbed "Delubyo sa Hunyo," the militant group Bayan and its allied organizations staged a parade of wooden push carts, each depicting the pressing economic problems facing the country. They marched from Welcome Rotunda in Quezon City to Quiapo's Plaza Miranda where they held a short program.
The themes of their push carts ranged from the global crisis and its impact on the Philippines, high prices, low wages and unemployment, demolition, landlessness and food crisis, lack of social services, foreign plunder of natural resources, onerous taxes, and others.
The protest groups stressed that since the start of the year, the pump price of diesel has already jumped by P12.54 per liter; unleaded, P13.51; and kerosene, P13.53. Food prices rose by 14% in May, with rice soaring by 32 percent. Overall inflation, or the rate with which prices of basic goods and services is increasing, has reached a nine year in May. Meanwhile, the cost of living has already reached P858 per day while the daily minimum wage (including the cost of living allowance) of workers has remained low at P382 in spite of a recent wage hike order.
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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!
*
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!
*
Labels: Political Rally
posted by Señor Enrique at 7:59 AM
| 8 comments
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
MANILA'S LABOR DAY RALLY
"We need higher wages!" cried thousands of demonstrators comprised of overworked, underpaid and disgruntled workers and government employees. Along with activists, they marched on Claro M. Recto Avenue but were prevented from proceeding to Malacanang Palace by law enforcement officers.
Labels: manila events, Political Rally
posted by Señor Enrique at 5:46 AM
| 25 comments
