Occupy Mendiola

Scores of young students and dozens of workers were injured when Manila policemen dispersed them today and a few days ago. These patriotic students were just trying to express themselves when they mobilized thousands from their ranks and decided to try to "occupy Mendiola"--the symbolic bridge that separates Claro M. Recto from the very gates of Malacanang.

These students, together with those brave workers, were just expressing their opposition to the government's plan to decrease spending on education and the rising costs of food stuffs and tuition fees. Instead of sending a representative from the palace to at least dialogue with the protesting students, what this government did was send in those crack troops, with batons and water cannons to literally hose the students away with dirty water.

As of presstime, several students were arrested, together with laborers.

I don't know with you, but, at least I know I'm still living in a democracy. Or not?

What's so wrong with allowing students to do those flanking moves at Mendiola bridge? Will Malacanang lose a day if these students and fellow sympathizers from the workers' ranks would rant, play Commie music and even do those planking moves? Will traffic be affected that much, seeing that there is another route that police use when situations like these arose?

I don't see anything wrong with allowing students to encamp at Mendiola, spend their Christmas there or just literally make the entire bridge their home. Malacanang is several meters away. An encampment at Mendiola will not even affect security at the palace.

IN the UNited States, hundreds of thousand of people have been allowed to express themselves, hence, this creeping movement called Occupy Wall Street.

In times like these, where people are hungry and millions more are jobless, suppressing these democratically protected actions are downright stupid.

It just shows how paranoid this administration is, that within those Spanish-era walls live people without total regard to the precepts of democracy.