Fuck the State of the Nation Address Demo (Philippines)

Monday. July 25

About 40 anarchists wearing masks and mostly dressed in black vandalized and disrupted the area of Commonwealth Avenue where the State of the Nation Address was held. Anarchists individuals, without leaders and with clear mind and visions, were small in numbers in comparison with around 8,000 authoritarian left who recruited some people to march for pay or food while being granted by the state with permit zone to revolt, wishing for their demands and for the revolution in collaboration with corporate media and state institutions who fuck up the lives of millions of people in the archipelago. They are everyday reflected in the unprecedented growth of poverty, ecological destruction, homelessness, unemployment, hunger and other miserable conditions most of the inhabitants of the country endure.

The deployment of massive numbers of police forces and riot cops with batons and shields was fair enough for the authoritarian left to set things as it was always use to be. Every time is another rallying cry of pacifism, persuading and influencing the masses to another form of government to live by, wishing it will happen one day. Of course, they could not get in closely to the Hall of Congress at the back of Sandiganbayan (office of the Ombudsman), where the ruling president (Benigno Aquino III) will proudly address his 1 year of accomplishment of lies and deceit. The so-called revolutionary tactics of the authoritarian left is widely known in front of the TV screen which is for them ok. The state and the left knew each other well. Each of them is a ruling and authoritarian form. There are a bunch of leftist politicians building their nests in congressional bodies making laws and profit at the expense of the obedient citizen.

12 pm: Anarchist demo began. Reclaiming the streets. The normal flow of traffic was severely disturbed. It was an unexpected moment for most of the authorities who were there on that day. As they put more attention on the other side of the road — the permitted zone — to control the motion of thousands of anti-SONA leftist protestors via radios and walking surveillance, the authorities were completely shocked and froze to the ground seeing anarchists mobilizing from a different direction, counter-flowing the march of the permitted zone, walking down the other side of the road. For legal matters it is definitely illegal to mobilize there. A few comrades with bicycle were also on the demo controlling the traffic so demonstrators would not get hit by aggressive cars.

Police authorities don’t know what to do. They were just standing up, confused and traumatized, although they were many. They see anarchists mobilizing on that day like watching TV, as traumatic and desensitized as most people who care to watch the screen and the news.

The bad thing is that it is inherent, normal, and accepted that the authorities kill people in front of our very eyes. For someone who could actually see such atrocity, this leaves people in a traumatized state and fear. In a sudden moment on that day police appeared to be anyone, but noone special. Police are just mere repressors, a tool of the state.

Screams and chant of anger were raised by anarchist dissidents ”Aparato ng Estado Wasakin, Durugin, Gawing Pagkain” (State apparatus, Smash, Destroy, turn it into food). “Fuck police brutality, Fuck police oppression” where every police line in the service of command could actually hear it. Main banner said “Walang pagbabago sa patuloy na reporma. Anarkistang rebolusyon ang solusyon. Wasakin ang hirarkiya. Depensahan ang kalikasan. Tapusin ang kahirapan.” (“There is no change in continuous reform. Anarchist revolution is the solution. Destroy hierarchy. Defend ecology. End poverty.”). It was loud. No megaphone only screams and drums and brave passion. A few young street kids eventually attended the demo, having fun, kind of like amazed when they saw the action amidst traffic following behind the protestors walking. The community, passersby, and neighborhood around Commonwealth area began to seriously read the banner having a very close look. Leaflets of detailed statement (Tagalog) made by anarchists (against SONA) were handed out to folks around. It is always new, imaginative tactics for anarchist to fight against the political death machine, in the local level, against every SONA, WTO, JPEPA, ASEAN, APEC and other capitalist trade agreements ruining the world and its inhabitants with annihilation and destruction. SONA, few years ago the national flag was burned.

Now, paint bombs were thrown at buses visibly labeled with corporate advertising. Roads of the permit zone were also smashed with paints. The Circle A symbol adorned some parts of the roads. Street walls and traffic signboards were covered with graffiti and stickers mainly directed against the state and capitalist oppression. Few vendors selling mami noodles along the area reacted by saying that the said action was beautiful and fun and momentarily gave a share of noodles for free to one of the anarchists. Firecrackers were used when the group stopped along the UCPB bank and protested there. At this time, anarchists were already in the permitted zone after crossing the road protesting among thousands of leftist marching. Still the vandalism continues. Various media that came from the marching leftist political bloc, AKBAYAN party list (rejectionist) stopped for while and covered the anarchist banner message. A middle finger from one of the masked protestors was pointed to one of the media who wanted to cover them with a close angle. Leaflets were still handed out to mostly young students who were with the leftist march. They are mostly recruited. When young students saw masked protestors in front of the bank, they were also kind of curious and interested leaving the rank and file march a bit delayed.

It was war from our hearts.

It was spontaneity.

No arrests.