Unverified reports of protesters killed by police in Philippines capital
~ Cristina Sykes ~
An anti-corruption mass protest in Manila turned violent today after altercations with a police barricade, leading to widespread riots. The confrontations began around the main thoroughfare leading up to the Malacañan Palace—the seat of the presidency. Protesters tried to burn a container truck by the Ayala Bridge and flung rocks and bottles at the riot police, who escalated by deploying tear gas and water cannons. The riots spread to other parts of the city and went well into the night, with protesters burning and looting a local motel.
The mayor of Manila, Isko Moreno, has enacted a curfew for youths. Video of police brutality began circulating in the afternoon and into the night showing police assaulting protesters, including a minor. According to unverified reports a violent crackdown is ongoing, including plainclothes arrests of minors and youth in the Mendiola–Recto area, and a weapons free order at Mendiola. These same reports have said that three people, including 2 protesters have been killed. Gunfire was reportedly heard up to the University of Santo Tomas campus by España Boulevard.
For several months, the Philippines—much like many other nations in Asia—have been rocked by corruption scandals. Disastrous flooding in the country revealed the discrepancy between officially-reported financing and construction of flood-control projects, and the scale of the conspiracy between politicians, bureaucrats, and private contractors to plunder monies from them. The recent uprisings in Indonesia and Nepal further galvanised protesters’ resolve, leading to a wide spectrum of political parties calling for a mass mobilisation on 21 September.
By the time the violence started, the official demonstration program of BAYAN (National Democratic alliance) had ended, and their protesters were already dispersing. BAYAN disowned the confrontational protesters, while radical activists have been organising anti-repression efforts.
