Fotografolio: Scenes from the first part of "Occupy Mendiola" protest

Scenes from the first part of "Occupy Mendiola" protest

These are the scenes from the first day of protests this December.

Known as "Occupy Mendiola", activists, coming from respective communities around Metro Manila, inspired by the "Occupy Wall Street" and other related protests around the world, gathered in Recto all in pursuit of marching towards Mendiola for a camp out and addressing their grievances to the government.

However, they end up having fired by a water cannon as well as beaten by the Police, yet they still remained strong enough to endure it and wanting to advance towards their destination. They even had an activity till dusk as mass leaders speak out against the system, followed by noises and music, all agitated and willing to push themselves against the truncheon-carrying men.

Some Policemen are even willing to take pictures of themselves "for Facebook", while some even had a chitchat with activists or strangers as the program continues to hold on. Traffic flow was so slow that instead of going to Legarda straight, opted to have an alternate route like Morayta; while fastfood stalls near the scene had to close "in order to prevent from getting looted and destroyed" as others think of as they sought.

And according to UP Kilos Na, a multisectoral alliance against budget cuts in the University of the Philippines, it said that:

“What better place to hold the camp-out than historic Mendiola — witness to the unstoppable protests of the people through several regimes,”

And as for the violent dispersals, UP President Pascual, like its predecessor S.P. Lopez, also against it, as he said:

“legitimate expression of civil and political rights guaranteed under the Constitution...To prohibit such activities, and brand these as “seditious,” goes against the core principles of democracy, transparency and accountability which are central in President Aquino’s vision of daang matuwid and contrary to the call of the Aquino administration for active public participation in the governance of our country,”

But despite all these, of water cannons and truncheons, the protests remained intact although they moved out and temporarily stayed in Plaza Miranda and then, in Bustillos that is near their destination. Policemen tried much to defend as fire trucks and police vehicles parked in the main thoroughfare. One policeman even called the attempts for camp-out at Mendiola as inciting to sedition, and liable for arrest and incarceration.

If so, then what's the purpose of peaceful protests then? Just because they're against the system? Of venting rage against them? To others the event, like any other protest actions, are simply eyesores and hindrance to progress, being paid or whatsoever just to justify their angst against them; but most of these people who criticize mass actions are rather aloof in issues as they focused much on their desires they themselves opted to indulge in, or in other words, choosing contentment over change.

Anyway, here are the pictures of that said event.