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Anti Bush Demo Reports from Philippines - Australia Prepares Protests

Burning Bush | 20.10.2003 16:05 | Anti-militarism | Globalisation | London

Quick compilation of reports from protests against the bush visits in philippines and planning for protests in a couple of days throughout australia.

FUCK BUSH!



BUSH IN SOUTH EAST ASIA
Fiery welcome for Bush in Manila and Bangkok
 http://melbourne.indymedia.org/
Oct 20th 2003

Filipinos on Saturday burned one hundred US flags in protest as Air Force One unloaded the world’s No. 1 terrorist leader, George W. Bush, in Manila for an eight-hour visit to the Philippines, infamously known as an American neocolony. ...10,000 Filipinos have jammed the main thoroughfare leading to the House of Representatives, where Bush addressed a joint session of Congress. This follows Urban Poor Anti-Bush actions in Manila leading up to Bush's arrival. The Bush State visit was slammed by protest in Manila and across the Philippines.

After the Phippines, George W Bush will atend the APEC summit in Bangkok, Thailand. Thai authorities have repeated the draconian measures that governments commonly employ when the rulers of the world are coming to town: deportation of undesirables, suppression of democracy, and spend lots of money to impress. On Sunday in Bangkok, one thousand people turned out to protest Bush and the crackdown on dissent during APEC. In Australia preparations are hotting up to protest the Bush sleepover and address to parliament in Australia on October 22-23.

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BUSH STATE VISIT SLAMMED BY PROTEST
by Manila Independent Media Collective
 http://manila.perthimc.asn.au/

Decentralized protest actions from various political blocs in Metro Manila and the whole Philippine archipelago welcomed US President George Bush as he set foot on the Philippine soil around 12:15 p.m. of 19 October 2003. The protest action against Bush Visit marked the National Day of Protest in the country, while simultaneously, actions are also been held abroad by Filipino Communities.

Indymedia Pilipinas has their first hand account of a demonstration at the Commonwealth Ave. towards the Congress Hall in Quezon City where Mr. Bush is set to give his joint speech among the congressmens. The action was led by BAYAN - see:
 http://manila.perthimc.asn.au/index.php?action=newswire&parentview=68

Meanwhile, Manila Indymedia covered the protest action down the street blocks of Quezon City and Rotunda, Manila where a huge number of protesters from the militant groups like KPD, SANLAKAS and FDC are set to break down the barricades leading to the Presidents Palace at Mendiola Manila to deliver the grievances of the people which was always been neglected by the government - See:
 http://manila.perthimc.asn.au/index.php?action=newswire&parentview=56

And also, foreigners caught joining in protest and rallies during the Anti-Bush state visit was reprimanded by the government and was ordered to be deported - See:
 http://manila.perthimc.asn.au/index.php?action=newswire&parentview=69

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BREAKING NEWS
Excerpt taken from AP story

The president's speech before the Congress was nearly an hour late because of concerns about large crowds — both supporters and protesters — on his motorcade route.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said people had to be moved back to address Secret Service worries about "safety issues."

What remained for Bush to see along the route from Malacanang Palace to the speech were thousands of well-wishers.

But about 3,000 protesters were positioned near the House of Representatives building, the site of Bush's address. They burned an effigy and five flags as Bush's motorcade passed.

Thousands of demonstrators, waving anti-U.S. placards and streamers saying "Ban Bush" and "Bush No. 1 terrorist," had marched from the sprawling University of the Philippines campus in suburban Quezon City to the House.

Five legislators walked out of the hall at the start of Bush's speech.

links:
BanBush  http://www.banbush.tk/
Sanlakas  http://sanlakas.cjb.net/
Indymedia Pilipinas  http://philippines.perthimc.asn.au/

CONTACT:
Email:  imc-ph-manila@lists.indymedia.org
Url:  http://wiki.perthimc.asn.au/Philippines

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URBAN POOR ANTI-BUSH ACTION
by Manila Independent Media Collective
 http://manila.perthimc.asn.au/
2003-10-15 3:48 PM +0800

In the height of Anti-Bush 8 hour visit in Manila, Urban Poor groups trooped towards the historic Mendiola Bridge yesterday to protest their miserable conditions due to the governments neglect and hypocrisy. While the protesters are getting ready to march towards the said place, the police authorities promptly blockaded them in Rotunda, Manila causing tensions between the police and the protesters. See:
 http://manila.perthimc.asn.au/index.php?action=newswire&parentview=53

The Arroyo government is spending 100 million pesos for only an 8 hour state visit of Mr. Bush, while the Urban Poor were only allotted a budget of 3 billion pesos for a housing program this year which is far away short enough to provide them a decent housing. On the other hand, the government is spending the 40% of the national budget for debt servicing.

During the protest action, a smuggled solidarity statement from the Magdalo Soldiers who were recently been accused of MUTINY and was currently imprisoned right now in the military custody was been addressed also in the middle of the rally, inspiring the 10, 000 strong urban poor activists to push forward the CLASS STRUGGLE in Philippine Society - See:
 http://manila.perthimc.asn.au/index.php?action=newswire&parentview=54

READ THE ENTIRE FEATURE:
 http://manila.perthimc.asn.au/index.php?action=newswire&parentview=55

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BREAKING NEWS:

Massive Anti-Bush Visit protest actions is hounding all over the Metropolis and the whole Philippine archipelago as well. The U.S. Embassy along Roxas Boulevard in Manila is being bombarded with a series of protests since 11:00 a.m. today from various activists and political blocs. Police authorities are reacting harshly towards the protesters by violently dispersing every anti-bush protest, physically hurting and injuring the activists.

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UPCOMING PROTESTS IN AUSTRALIA...
Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, AUSTRALIA wide 22nd-23rd October
 http://perth.indymedia.org/index.php?action=newswire&parentview=1592

Bush is visiting Australia on 22 & 23 of October after the APEC conference to reward John Howard for his support for the slaughter in Iraq. Bush’s visit will coincide with the next round of negotiations for the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement. The people of Australia need to come out in force and tell Bush he is NOT WELCOME.
See:  http://www.stopdubya.org/

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:::REMOVING DEMOCRATIC FREEDOMS FOR BUSH'S VISIT::: Oct 19 2003
Minimising the Embarrassment for Bush & Maximising Hostility in the Region

Given the public’s reaction to the lies and hegemonic actions of the Bush administration, the Australian government is now taking unprecedented action to minimise any embarrassment or inconvenience for Bush and his entourage by temporarily removing some of our democratic freedoms here in Australia.

Some of these democratic freedoms that are being removed however.

It is a sad day when the Deputy Sheriff, John Howard, (now recently promoted to "Regionla Sheriff" by Bush) introduces totalitarian measures to appease the leader of a hegemonic superpower. It will be the first time ever that Parliament House will be closed to the public while Bush is inside.

See:
 http://brisbane.indymedia.org.au/front.php3?article_id=7546&group=webcast

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George W. Bush In Australia

On October 22nd and 23rd, the unelected president of the United States, George W. Bush, is coming to Australia to thank the people of Australia for supporting his "War Against Terror" and the people of Australia will be there to give him a very special kind of welcome.

READ FULL FEATURE:
 http://sydney.indymedia.org/archive/features/2003/10/2003-10.html#9765

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FIERY PROTESTS TO GREET BUSH IN MANILA
by the IMC Pilipinas Collective

MANILA –Various people’s organizations and movements vowed “fiery protests” when US President George W. Bush visits its premiere puppet state in Asia on Oct. 18.

The Bush visit will only last eight hours. He is expected to meet with the Philippine President and speak before a joint session of the Philippine Congress.

In a press conference, the broad Justice Not War Coalition (JNWC), the US Troops Out Now Alliance (OUT NOW!) and the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN, New Patriotic Alliance) said that “no imperial masters like Bush are welcome in the Philippines”.

The groups vowed to launch protest actions nationwide on Oct. 18. Filipino organizations in the US will also undertake solidarity protests.

They added that the “Ban Bush!” campaign would hope to spread the word among the Filipino people about the unfair and onerous relations between the US and the Philippines.

For its part, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines) said that its members will burn 100 US flags in protest of US control of Philippine land and economy.

In a statement, the groups said that “Whether sea, air or land, there will be no safe haven for the world’s most powerful terrorist.”

They said that the Bush visit in October would merely highlight what they call the “grossly unequal and oppressive relations between a master and a puppet”.

Expected to throw its support behind the “Ban Bush!” campaign are the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS), a global alliance of mass movements opposing imperialist plunder and war.

Members of the Independent Media Center-Pilipinas will cover all the major protest actions. Reports are expected from IMC-Pilipinas correspondents from Baguio City, Cebu City, Davao City.

The imperialist US colonized the Philippines in the dying days of Spanish colonial power, when the first Philippine national-democratic revolution was on the verge of national victory. US colonial power was imposed through bloody massacres, looting and plunder and the branding of Filipino patriots as “bandits”.

The US granted nominal independence in 1946. But its neocolonial domination over local politics, economy, culture and military affairs continues under the terms of onerous treaties like the Mutual Defense Treaty, Mutual Assistance Pact, Visiting Forces Agreement and the Mutual Logistics and Support Agreement.

Bush Sr., the father of the current US president, praised the dictator Ferdinand Marcos his supposed “adherence to democratic principles” in a visit to Manila when the Filipino people were asking for an end to Marcos’ tyrannical rule. Under the Marcos dictatorship, the Philippine government received millions of dollars in military assistance that were used for silencing the people in massacres, forced disappearances, abductions, murders and state terrorist acts of Marcos’ security forces.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the current Philippine president, has thrown her government’s full and unequivocal support to the US borderless war on “terrorism” and has implemented her own version in the country called “Strong Republic”.

The pro-US bias of Arroyo is among one of the reasons why more and more Filipinos are demanding her removal from the presidency. # IMC-PILIPINAS

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LATEST:

APEC THAILAND 2003
 http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/20Oct2003_news16.html
20th October 2003

About 1,000 demonstrators took to the streets in the inner-city yesterday to protest against US President George W Bush, here for the Apec summit, and the US war against Iraq and Afghanistan.

About 10 non-governmental organisations held the rally at Pathumwan intersection across from Mah Boonkrong shopping centre to condemn as a war criminal the US president, who arrived on Saturday.

Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, said another 3,000 people would have joined the protest had the government not stopped protesters from other provinces from reaching Bangkok.

Burning Bush

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  1. Fantastic News!! — voodoo ray