Youth Demanding Arroyo's Removal

Report of the violent dispersal of the protest rallyagainst GMA's suppression of the people's right topeaceful assembly
October 13, 2005

The peaceful protest action of youth and studentsinitiated by youth groups under Youth Demanding Arroyo's Removal (Youth DARE), League of FilipinoStudents and Anakbayan ended in a violent dispersal this afternoon after policemen started beating the rallyists with truncheons. Police authorities also used water cannon to quell the students' right to peaceful assembly. A number of students from Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and UP Diliman suffered bruises and cuts. Among them are Marco delos Reyes, Chairperson of UP Diliman University Student Council, Lady Ann Salem, Camille Bacalle, Atom Araullo, Voltz Robles, Red Agaid and Anton Dulce, all from UP Diliman.

Eleven students were apprehended, among them are Julian Luciano and Mel Alfonso of PUP. The names of the other students who were arrested are yet to be identified by our paralegal team. There were also a number of students whose location is yet to be identified. Those who were arrested are still under the custody of the police authorities.

The students will file complaints and cases of restriction of right to assembly, physical injuries and threat.