Labor Day Protests in Philippines: Enough of grinding poverty and repression

MANILA — The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan will join thousands of workers in the annual May 1 Labor Day rally tomorrow at the Liwasang Bonifacio, as it called on the police and military not to sabotage the peaceful protests.

Bayan forces will march from the Plaza Miranda in Quiapo going to the Liwasang Bonifacio at around 12 noon. They will converge with other groups from various assembly areas.
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5 Comments to “Labor Day Protests in Philippines: Enough of grinding poverty and repression”

1. roguerem says:

   May 1, 2007 at 5:31 am

   If you must protest, don’t block the flow of traffic in Metro Manila’s main avenues or streets. Otherwise, you would be stepping on my rights too.
2. Chuck says:

   May 1, 2007 at 12:37 pm

   roguerem, you sound like you never had a job that paid the minimum wage (silver spoon nin your mouth, eh?). keep in mind that practically all the benefits wage earners enjoy now, such as they are, were forced from employers by these unionists and rallies that you so despite. if it were not for these demonstrations, employers would never grant salaries increases and benefits. so before you complain about getting stuck in traffic because of the rallies, think about the millions of minimum wage earners out there who suffer, who are hungry, who live in hovels, who are stuck in traffic, too, because employers and this government continue to deny them decent wages and benefits.
3. mark says:

   May 3, 2007 at 1:07 pm

   What’s wrong with roguerem’s comment? I agree that the workers of this country have a right to a decent life, but I also agree that roguerem also has the right to get to work on time. He just sounds like he’s just complaining about the unnecessary traffic that rallies produce, not necessarily the essence of the rally itself.
4. Chuck says:

   May 3, 2007 at 9:57 pm

   ah, but by focusing the complaint on the traffic, roguerem — and now, you, mark — actually complain about the essence of the rally itself. because if you see the wisdom and necessity of such a rally, why would you complain about a little inconvenience? you bitch about the traffic — of all the things that you can bitch about! — rallies create and you bitch about the rally itself. that’s how it is, no matter how you cut it.
5. mark says:

   May 4, 2007 at 9:38 am

   So you’re saying the purpose of a rally is to cause traffic? I thought it was to create awareness and win the heart/support of people?

   Haven’t there been rallies in the past (not just in the Philippines) that have been effective but did not cause unnecessary traffic? What is the reason for causing traffic? To gain the attention of the public? But by doing so isn’t the rally causing irritation thus defeating part of its purpose which is, again, to cause awareness AND win the hearts/support of people?

   And who’s to say that the issue of traffic is unimportant? Doesn’t traffic cause a major delay in the daily operations of business? Probably the same businesses that the workers are coaxing to give them better pay. How can you be so sure that traffic is just “a little inconvenience?” Traffic jams are serious problems to any community since it has the potential to disrupt access to basic services as well (e.g. health, education, etc.).

   Look, I’m not denouncing rallies because of the traffic they create. I’m just not keen on the traffic part. The essence of rallies, on the other hand, I don’t have a problem with. We all have the right to bargain for better pay.