To say it was a mixed group is an understatement.
A motley group of about 300 lawyers, law students, paralegals and activists marched this morning to the EDSA shrine from the IBP National Headquarters to protest the dictator’s decree 1017. It was a reunion between civil libertarians from way back and those they had mentored and are now leading the charge; it was also a reunion for the EDSA forces who had somehow parted ways after EDSA and found themselves on different sides of the fence. There were the new generation of lawyers with and of conscience; there were the idealistic law students and paralegals. And oh yes, there were the trapos as well—Cayetano, Binay, Maceda; well, you can’t have everything.
This group took over the EDSA shrine and for close to 45 minutes took turns telling the dictator “NO!” NEVER AGAIN!” After that, we marched back to the IBP National Headquarters for photo ops. En route, we learned that 1017 had been lifted.
I saw my students there, past and present; and despite their being very new to this activism, I see their hearts burn with idealism and passion. And I am suddenly even more hopeful for this country. Now, if they can only learn to address a crowd in straight Filipino. . . (peace, faye.)
3 comments:
"hindi dapat mag-hide si gma behind pp1017! dapat nating ipaglaban ang right nating mag-assemble!" *chuckles*
si faye bilang isang mass leader? kaya yan! konting praktis pa. :-)
had moments of cognitive dissonance seeing classmates and schoolmates raising fists and chanting in protest. hope we don't let up inspite the lifting of 1017. arroyo is a disease.
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