"US Out Of The Philippines!" Hundreds Of Activists Protest Against US Imperialism In Front Of US Consulate In Toronto
by ICHRP · SCOOPTORONTO, CA — Over 500 advocates from organizations across the world marched to confront the US Consulate in Toronto on Friday, September 26 to kick off Kapit Bisig ("Linking Arms" in Tagalog), the largest ever global conference opposing US-led war and plunder in the Philippines. Activists and human rights defenders visiting from the Philippines, alongside solidarity allies from 12 countries, came together to expose the US-led human rights abuses in the Philippines, as well as to resist the impacts US aggression and imperialism around the world.
Prominent Filipino leaders like Mong Palatino, the president of progressive political party Makabayan and journalist; Danilo "Ka Daning" Ramos, chairman of the national farmers' union Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas; and other Filipino activists, labour leaders, and church leaders spoke outside the consulate about the brutal conditions of peasants, workers, and victims of human rights violations in the Philippines under intensifying military and economic intervention by foreign states, such as Canada and especially the US. Solidarity allies and advocates from across Canada, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the US attended, answering the urgent call to strengthen international support for the Filipino people's struggle for liberation.
"This is why your solidarity to us is so important," said Mong Palatino. "It sends the message that the Filipino people are not alone in their struggle."
US-led war and plunder accelerating under Pax Silica
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Activists called to shut down Pax Silica -- a US-led initiative to secure the global supply chain for AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology independent from China, in order to further US interests in war and profit-making. Just this August, Philippine president Marcos Jr has committed 1,600 hectares of land in Central Luzon for foreign mining projects and developing AI data centers as a part of Pax Silica.
Marcos Jr spreads blatant lies claiming Pax Silica would create new jobs and develop industry in the Philippines, but speakers shared experiences from the peasants and workers that show clearly how Pax Silica leads to increased suffering of the Philippine's most vulnerable farming, Indigenous, and urban poor communities, causing mass displacement, destruction of the environment and sacred ancestral lands, and increased exploitation, militarization, and human rights violations. Local organizations, farmers, and the Aeta Indigenous community in Central Luzon joined by people from all across the Philippines are enraged by this attack on their sovereignty and have been protesting in the thousands to "Shut the Pax Down!"
American and Filipino civilians killed by Philippine military in April
Activists highlighted one of many instances of heightened US-backed attacks and militarization of peasant communities and demanded justice for the Negros 19. On April 19th of this year, in Toboso, Negros Occidental, US-backed Armed Forces of the Philippines massacred 19 people, including 2 minors and 7 other cilivians, in an indiscriminate military assault on peasant communities. Among those killed was Lyle Prijoles, a Filipino American and member of the US chapter of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP).
"They took Lyle from us. They took Kai from us. They took 17 others. But here we will not be deterred," said United Methodist Pastor Sadie Stone.
Stone is also a member of the US chapter of ICHRP, and was prevented from entering the Philippines earlier this year. She is one of many human rights activists who have been blacklisted by the Marcos Jr regime, revealing his fear of being exposed for his crimes against the Filipino people and tangible impact of the growing international support for the National Democratic movement of the Philippines which aims to end US domination of the Philippines.
"If they don't let us in to the country, we will organize everywhere else!" continued Stone. "In every city, every church, every union hall, every campus. They can ban our bodies from their country, but they cannot ban the truth, and they cannot ban international solidarity."
Kapit Bisig Global Conference
Friday's rally and march was led by the Toronto chapter of the International League of Peoples' Struggle, a global alliance of anti-imperialist organizations. March attendees brought the main theme highlighted by global conference into concrete action against the US consulate - Kapit Bisig: Linking Arms Across the World Against the US War of Suppression on the Filipino People.
The Kapit Bisig conference brought together over 500 attendees from around the world and was organized by ICHRP (International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines), FFPS (Friends of Filipino People's Struggle) and the IADL (International Association of Democratic Lawyers). Guest speakers from the Philippines shared about the human rights situation in the Philippines and discussed with the conference attendees concrete ways the international community can support the Filipino people including - campaigning to Stop the US-led War of Suppression against the Filipino People and to Free All Political Prisoners; going on solidarity and fact-finding missions to the Philippines; and bringing in more people to understand and support the Filipino people's struggle for just and lasting peace.
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines is a global network of organizations, concerned about the human rights situation in the Philippines, and committed to campaign for just and lasting peace in the country. It aims to inform the international community about the grave human rights situation in the Philippines today. ICHRP operates in 15 countries around the world. More than 50 member organizations include churches, trade unions, environmental advocacy groups, and grassroots Philippine solidarity groups, among others. Friends of Filipino People's Struggle is a global alliance in support of the revolutionary movement for national and social liberation in the Philippines. The International Association of Democratic Lawyers is a Non-Governmental Organization accredited to ECOSOC and UNESCO, that aims to restore, defend and develop democratic rights and liberties in legislation and in practice.
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