Tango Muno Bago Mag-Cha Cha

Although the Black Friday Protests have ceased for now, our advocacy against this repressive regime continues on other fronts. The Black & White Movement is clearly against Gloria's version of Cha Cha and her illegal "people's initiative". In this regard, we staged another, peaceful, non-violent action recently called "Tango Bago Cha Cha" (Tanggalin Si Gloria Bago Cha Cha) in front of the COMELEC building in Intramuros. This time we applied for, and received a permit to perform our dance number.



After the usual negotiation that precedes a protest action, and this time with the help of the Manila police, we got to do our STOP Cha Cha Tango. We were eventually joined by a few COMELEC employees that whispered words of support in our ears. Some went as far as saying their bosses were giving the lot of them a bad name and should be replaced sooner than later to ensure clean, honestly managed elections. We continue to work toward making that dream a reality.

In Honor of the Thai People

The Thai Embassy had already closed for the day, but we were undeterred. We decided to visit unannounced anyway, so we met up at a nearby KFC, pleased to find Little John, our three year mascot, already there with his folks. We brought yellow flowers and yellow balloons. Our friends in media were in the area as well, probably grateful that we didn't choose a time too early in the afternoon, it was so warm. And so we crossed the street and made towards the Embassy on Rada, noticing a small contingent of police that kept a respectful distance.

We walked over, everyone in jovial mood. We were happy to find a flower box right under the Royal Thai emblem, and so we offered our flowers and balloons, planting them among the greens. Then Enteng read our statement to the Thai people:

We, the Convenors and Members of the Black & White Movement, wish to commend the peaceful people of Thailand that are, to this day, courageously defending democracy and struggling non-violently for responsible government through serene protest. The Thai people have become an inspiration to us, for they have taken the Filipino contribution to the world, People Power, and have used it wisely, compelling their government to take careful heed.

The use of the imperial color yellow as the Thai color of protest reminds us of the way we used it as our inspiration in 1986 to unseat a dictator and bring an end to the stifling of our freedoms through martial rule, giving historic birth to People Power.

The Filipino people are in the midst of another great effort to cause positive change within ourselves and our government. Our movement hopes to achieve this through non-violence and the exercise of our basic freedoms. And so we take heart and courage from the freedom-loving spirit of the Thai people to continue our fight for just, honest governance and accountable leadership.

Khob khun khon Thai!
Mabuhay ang Kalayaan!

After the usual lining up to make our "patalsikin", or in this case, the "paTHAKSINin" sign, we were pleased to find out that there was indeed an Embassy official still at work, he had come outside to see what the lighthearted fuss was all about. Enteng took the opportunity to present a copy of our statement to him, it was addressed to Amb. Asha Dvitiyananda. Then we all began our peaceful dispersal, looking forward to a quiet weekend.

A Jolli Black Friday

Our latest Black Friday Protest was celebrated at three Jollibee locations - Makati Avenue, St. Francis Square, and Katipunan. Instead of the usual early evening time frame, we chose to meet early in the morning for a change. That made it possible for our friends to bring their families, as did some members of the media.



To the credit of Jollibee Corporation, the staff at all three places never put up a fuss, even if we didn't bother giving them a heads up on our plans. They didn't stop the media from doing interviews of either protesters or restaurant patrons.



The regular patrons did not seem bothered by our presence at any of the locations. Some of them came up to engage us in conversation, many were very sympathetic to our cause. Unlike some of the comments made on this blog and our sister blog, blackfridayprotest,no one said we were bothering them. Some offered some pretty good suggestions for future Black Friday Protests, and other ideas on how to rid ourselves of the Gloria scourge.



And so, with our hunger satisfied by Jollibee breakfast fare, we stood outside and took our pictures while flashing the "patalksikin" sign, leaving as peacefully as we arrived.

Black Friday Protest in Luneta

We were blessed with a cloudless, sunny day. Enteng and I were in contact early, confirming our plans for later in the afternoon. Both of us were unsure about how many we would ultimately be, as we had sent out the call via our blogs, text, and email and had not requested confirmation. The last three silent protest actions had, at most, twenty two people, and that was last Black Friday. And since our target area was still the City of Manila, we were a little uneasy.

There was a reason as to our choice - we had to defend our rights to free speech and peaceful assembly in the same city wherein these freedoms were assaulted. There was no intent to provoke confrontation, so we made sure our movements would not be misconstrued as aggressive. Everyone had five different assembly points to choose from, would proceed from them in small groups to our final destination, the Rizal Monument, the point from which all our roads extend.

And so we began our short stroll, in twos and threes. When we finally assembled, there were at least 120 of us, dressed mainly in black, many wearing the now famous "Patalsikin Na! Now Na!" tee shirts. Some of the participants were pleasantly surprised to see each other, so there was a lot of greeting and catching up. It took some effort for Enteng to get us to group together for pictures, we were so busy taking our own.

By far, the most pleasant surprise was the absence of any WPD personnel. The Rizal Monument color guard was there, of course, but they ignored us. Park security even obliged us by taking our pictures. This Friday could not have been more different from last Friday.

After the final pictures were taken, the media interviews over, some of us stopped to admire the view and pay our respects to Gat Jose Rizal. A fitting way to end a peaceful day of protest.

BLACK FRIDAY PROTEST BULLETIN #4: Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) Sa Luneta

Designated Time and Place of Flash Protest on March 24:
Luneta Park - 4:00 to 4:30 PM

Plan of action:

1) Wear BLACK

2) Assemble at any of the following locations between 3:30-4:00pm
a) Bayview Starbucks
b) Chow King Restaurant along Roxas Blvd. corner T. M. Kalaw
c) Manila Hotel
d) Parking Area of Harbor View
e) Entrance of Chinese Garden

3) Wait awhile for other people dressed in black. Take a snack, if you wish, while waiting for others.

4) At 4 PM, walk towards the designated location. Important: walk per family, or 2 at a time, so that this is not construed as a march by a group. Give sufficient spacing between families and pairs.

5) When you get to the designated place, mingle with the other people, without any unnecessary commotion.

6) When the signal is given, everyone in black must come together to pose for pictures.

7) Do the "patalsikin" sign during the picture taking.

8) On cue, disperse quietly.

Suggested preparations:

1) Bring your family. This is a non-violent action, after all.
2) Invite as many friends, or officemates to this peaceful event.
3) If you're an employer or a manager, invite all your subordinates to join you.
4) If you're from the same office, arrange for carpooling to your selected assembly point.
5) If you're located outside Metro Manila, and wish to organize a protest action, select an area where you and your friends can assemble peacefully. Advise your local media to cover your action. Document your silent protest by taking pictures and email them to helga1957@gmail.com.

Important reminders:

1) This is a SILENT PROTEST, not a rally. Please DO NOT shout, sing, pass leaflets, bring banners or placards or do anything to disturb the peace.
2) Bring your cameras. The highlight of the protest action is the picture-taking with the "patalsikin" pose.
3) In the unlikely event that there is one in our ranks who may attempt to disturb the peace by shouting or any other unruly behavior, take pictures of that person while trying to peacefully talk him down. We could use those pictures to prove that the rabble rouser is not one of us.
4) If the police block you on your way to the designated area, assert your rights without being confrontational. Get the name of the policeman in charge and ask someone to take pictures of him blocking you. Email to us so we can file the appropriate charges against them.

Black Friday #3 Pictures

Enteng will post his take on our experience with the Manila Police later. For now, here are some pictures from last night's barring from Baywalk. We would like to thank all our friends who sent texts of encouragement. Special thanks go to our new and old friends, especially those who joined our action and stayed with us, even waited patiently outside, at the precinct, WPD, and night court. We would also like to thank the legal eagles that came to Enteng and Dinky's aid: Atty. Butch Abad, Atty. Hector Soliman, Atty. Edwin Lacierda, Atty. Marvic Leonen, and Atty. Marlon Manuel. We really appreciate your friendship!

Black Friday Bulletin #3 - Baywalk Makapili Protest

Designated time and place of flash protest for March 17:
BAYWALK, Roxas Blvd - 6:30 to 7:15 PM

Plan of action:

1) Wear BLACK. BRING ALSO HAT, SHADES, AND IMPROVISED HOOD similar to the hooded witness of DOJ (see attached photo).
2) Assemble in front of the Aristocrat Restaurant, Roxas Blvd. between 6:15 to 6:30pm
3) Wait awhile for other groups in black. Take a snack, if you wish, while waiting for others to arrive
4) At 6:30pm, cross Roxas Boulevard in single file towards Baywalk.
5) Put on your "Makapili" hooded outfit and mingle with the regular Friday strollers on Baywalk.
6) When the signal is given, line up single file along the road and face the street.
7) Do the "thumbs down" sign to passing vehicles.
8) On cue, disperse quietly.

Suggested preparations:

9) Invite as many friends or officemates as possible
10) If you're an employer or a manager, invite all your subordinates to join you. Offer to "treat" them after the flash protest, if you can afford it. Hey, it's Friday after pay day. So you can have your regular "gimmick" after this.
11) If you're from the same office, arrange for carpooling going to the Aristocrat restaurant.
12) If you're outside of Metro Manila, and there are enough of you to organize a protest action, just select your own area of protest, but follow the "MAKAPILI" theme.

For feedback on last week's MRT flash protest, please visit our blog: www.blackfridayprotest.blogspot.com

We're finalizing details of the International Black Friday Protest that should happen sometime in April. Abangan...

Forward this message to as many friends, relatives, colleagues, and e-groups. I've also included below a brief description of the Black Friday Protest Movement, so those receiving your forwarded mail and hearing this for the first time will understand what we're trying to accomplish.

Let's paint BAYWALK BLACK on Friday.

God bless,

Enteng
http://blacknwhitemovement.blogspot.com
http://www.blacknwhite-movement.com


BLACK FRIDAY - A NEW FORM OF PROTEST

The Black Friday Protest Movement was launched by eLagda on March 1 to give professionals, students, businessmen, and other sectors a venue to express their protest against the continuing and escalating acts of repression of the GMA administration as manifested in its series of proclamations – CPR, EO 464, and PP 1017 – all designed to curtail basic rights and oppress the people. Even after PP1017 has been lifted, the repressive measures continue.

Patterned after the flash mob concept, the Black Friday Protest calls on people to gather at a designated time and place every Friday while wearing black as a symbol of protest. There will be no programs or speeches. Instead, people will be given specific instructions on what to do, and the whole exercise should last about 30 minutes at most. It’s safe, non-confrontational, and within the bounds of the law, even under a repressive one like PP 1017. The mere “flash” gathering of people is an expression of protest.

Where will people get instructions?

Details of the Black Friday Protest action for the week will be published at its blogsite – http://www.BlackFridayProtest.blogspot.com every Wednesday evening. Those who would like to receive instructions directly can also subscribe to the movement’s bulletin service by sending a blank email to BlackFridayProtest-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.