Over 300 protesters vs Asean meet held
More than 300 protesters were arrested by the police in Manila and Muntinlupa on Sunday, as they were preparing to march to the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City where world leaders had gathered for the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit.
Around 300 of those detained were participants in the Lakbayan ng Timog Katagalugan, who had stayed overnight at the People’s Park in Muntinlupa City. They were supposed to meet up with other groups at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila for the march to PICC.
According to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Timog Katagalugan spokesperson Lucky Oralleo, who was also among those detained, more than 200 police officers were deployed to stop them from leaving the area.
“Earlier this morning, no one inside the People’s Park was allowed to leave, even to buy medicine or food. Now, we have been arrested and violently dispersed,” Oralleo said.
Several injured
Nine protesters at Liwasang Bonifacio, on the other hand, were also arrested with labor leader Jerome Adonis saying they were continuing to monitor their status, including one who had ended up unconscious after allegedly being kicked several times.
Various groups under the All Workers Unity alliance were at the Manila freedom park by 7:30 a.m. for the protest march against the government’s antiworker policies, the arrival of US President Donald Trump, and the proposed establishment of a Pax Silica hub in New Clark City.
But a scuffle broke out between the protesters and the police which had set up a barricade to prevent them from leaving Liwasang Bonifacio.
The police said the groups could not assemble outside the freedom park as they lacked the permit to hold a rally.
Adonis said they tried but failed to negotiate with the police so protest organizers decided to move their march to Monday, Nov. 16, to prevent the situation from escalating further.
“We didn’t want anyone to get hurt so we agreed to their request and withdrew peacefully,” Adonis said.
Tension, however, erupted again after the police tried to seize the protesters’ vehicle for their sound system.
This triggered another round of forceful shoving between the two groups, which ended when the police seized the vehicle and arrested around nine protesters—some of whom suffered injuries.
“This shows how violent the police are against citizens who are protesting to raise various issues the country is facing,” Adonis said, adding that the presence of the police inside the freedom park was another violation.
In a separate interview with reporters, Police Cpt. Felino Nebato, Manila Police District legal officer, insisted that those arrested were outside Liwasang Bonifacio.
As for the seized vehicle, he said it was obstructing traffic in the area. Asked what violations were committed by the protesters, Nebato said they were still determining this.
