After the massive mobilization from Espanya to Morayta/Recto which united various labor centers, members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and Kilusang Mayo Uno assembled in Kalaw and marched towards the direction of the US Embassy in Manila to conclude the Labor Day with a protest condemning the acts of aggression and intervention of US imperialism in different parts of the world, including the Philippines.
The US government stands guilty of war crimes across West Asia—in Iran, Palestine, and beyond. It targeted civilian communities and destroyed oil facilities that violated international laws and created a humanitarian crisis in the region. Its reckless actions disrupted oil supply in West Asia and gravely affected the global economy.
One of the demands of the Labor Day protest is for the US to immediately end its war of aggression. The protest highlighted that workers, including migrants and the civilian population, are displaced by the conflicts triggered by the US war machine. It is the working classes who bear the brunt of rising oil prices, low wages, corrupt governance, and the economic crisis caused by US imperialism.
Instead of standing for genuine peace and sovereignty, the government of Bongbong Marcos has allowed the US to turn the Philippines into one big forward operating base of the US military. The ongoing Balikatan, which featured the provocative installation of missile systems from Clark to Cagayan and Batan Island in Batanes, is glaring proof that Marcos Jr has treasonously colluded with the US to use our land and water territories as training and staging grounds of the US military.
Marcos’ subservience to the dictates of US imperialism endangers local communities, disrupts local livelihoods, and undermines our national security. It also enables fascist troops to commit war crimes by relying on US-supplied drones and bombs and adopting the brutal counterinsurgency model of the US in dealing with the armed conflict.
The march towards the US Embassy carried the people’s clamor to oppose and resist US militarism and to hold the US-Marcos Jr Regime accountable for its shameless puppetry and brutality in suppressing dissent.
We demanded that resources used to host military bases and exercises should be allotted to social services. Our communities should be developed as economic hubs instead of being a war playground and refueling depot for the US military and its allies. Our government should be pursuing an independent foreign policy and not pathetically endorsing the geopolitical interests of our former colonizers. These are the demands that authorities wanted to suppress during the Labor day protest.
We have just grounds to protest on Labor Day but the US-Marcos Jr regime directed its troops to block all roads leading to Mendiola and the presidential palace. The police also prevented the protest from reaching Roxas Boulevard near the US embassy. Authorities claim they are implementing peace and order but their real repressive intent is betrayed by the overkill deployment of police forces and intel agents, the barriers installed around Malacañang, and the use of surveillance drones and equipment during the protest. We strongly denounce these actions aimed at protecting those who are guilty of unleashing horrific crimes against humanity.
Bayan salutes the labor groups which marched and asserted the need for urgent economic relief. Despite the police blockade, we were able to link arms with the working classes in demanding an end to the unjust wars of the US and the anti-Filipino policies of the Marcos Jr government.
Bayan calls on all Filipinos to unite and persevere in the struggle for real freedom, justice, and democracy.
Uring manggagawa, hukbong mapagpalaya!
Kamatayan sa imperyalismo!
Tuloy ang laban!
Makibaka, huwag matakot!