What to know about Sept. 21 rallies

MANILA --- Thousands are expected to troop to Luneta and the EDSA People Power Monument on Sunday, September 21, for two separate rallies denouncing corruption in flood control projects.

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The demonstrations fall on September 21, the 53rd anniversary of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s declaration of martial law in 1972—a date that activists have long used to remember the dictatorship’s abuses and to rally against authoritarian rule.

The anniversary carries added weight this year amid mounting anger over corruption in infrastructure projects.

For organizers of the “Baha Sa Luneta” rally at Luneta which include students and activist groups, including the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law the protest is a call not only to condemn today’s corruption scandals, but also to “ensure that the same deception, abuses, and plunder are never repeated.”

At the same time, organizers of the “Trillion Peso March” at EDSA frame the rally as part of the broader legacy of people’s unity against Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship and corruption. By holding their action at the People Power Monument, Catholic and Protestant leaders say they aim to channel the spirit of the 1986 revolution in calling for accountability.

WHO ARE THE ORGANIZERS?

The Luneta rally in the morning is primarily convened by student networks and activist coalitions, including: Taumbayan Ayaw sa Magnanakaw at Abusado Network Alliance (a network of schools along Taft Avenue), Panatang Luntian Coalition (youth environmentalists), and student councils from various universities.