Chicago, IL – On January 8, Filipinos and allies gathered in front of the Consulate General of the Philippines to demand the release of Filipino American activist, Chantal Anicoche, and an end to the bombing of Mindoro.

On New Year's Day, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducted brutal raids and aerial bombings on indigenous Mangyan-Iraya villages, killing three children and displacing nearly 200 families. This style of military terror, backed by the United States, is a tool by big real estate and natural resource companies for land grabbing. It’s also an attempt to suppress the revolutionary people’s movements fighting against this consistent terror. Anicoche was caught in the crossfire and was kidnapped by AFP.

Progressive Filipino solidarity groups like Anakbayan Chicago, Kabataan Alliance-MW, Mayala, Chicago Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, and more, spoke against the brutal bombings in Mindoro, and connected the struggle in the Philippines with that of the Palestinian people and the Venezuelan people. All show oppressed peoples fighting back against U.S.-backed war crimes, occupations and genocide. A member of Tanggol Migrante Chicago also gave an update of a local campaign to bring back home 70-year-old grandmother, Tita Rebecca, who was kidnapped by ICE.

Throughout the program, Filipino people’s artists sang songs and read poems to uplift the fighting spirit among the crowd. Speakers honored Anicoche’s dedication to fighting for her people. “Fight like Anicoche!” yelled a youth activist.

#ChicagoIL #IL #International #Philippines #Anakbayan #Kabataan #Malaya