New York, NY – Starting the morning of Monday, May 9, Filipinos and allies across the tri-state area began hosting a vigil outside of the Consulate General of the Philippines. They committed to stay until the results of a historic election were announced.

The Northeast Vigil for Democracy was one of dozens across the U.S. calling for a fair election as Filipinos voted for a variety of different positions. All eyes are on the presidency as two main candidates fight it out – Bongbong Marcos and Leni Robredo. While Marcos ran on a robust social media campaign based on rewriting history of his family, Robredo brought forward the people in effort to affect positive change.

At 7 p.m. that day, a rally began with close to 100 protesters. Speakers from different organizations, such as BAYAN, Malaya, Anakbayan, and others spoke about the meaning of this election, and why it was important that all voted. A few of the speakers emphasized how this was an avenue to explore when it came to change, but regardless of the results it was important to continue organizing.

Jessica Schwartz from the New York Community Action Project gave a speech in solidarity, stating, “That is why those of us fighting against the police here must also stand with the national democratic movement of the Philippines. We have a shared interest in the overthrow of U.S. imperialism and freedom for the Philippines and all nations facing violence by the U.S. government. None of us will be free until all of us are free. Long live international solidarity!”

The rally ended in high spirits as protesters set up to keep vigil overnight.

Unfortunately, in the morning hours, the results showed that Marcos, who is guilty of massive election fraud, had won. However, this didn’t deter the protesters from keeping vigil outside of the consulate. They are currently still protesting and calling for justice and democracy.

#NewYorkNY #Philippines #BAYAN #ANAKBAYAN #NewYorkCommunityActionProjectNYCAP #Asia