New York, NY – Filipino community organizations and their allies rallied outside of the Philippine Consulate in New York City, April 20, to call for an end to U.S. military involvement in the Philippines.

The protest marks the beginning of the month-long Balikatan joint military exercises between the United States, the Philippines, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand. The organizers included the New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP), Malaya Movement, and BAYAN. Speakers also included members of Anakbayan as well as Filipino residents whose families are still living in the country.

An unconscionable waste of needed fuel

In the midst of crisis-level fuel prices, criminalization of labor organizing and protest, and exorbitant military spending, these war preparations come at a steep price for the average Filipino family, and should be terminated immediately.

The United States and Israel’s war on Iran has spiked fuel prices across the globe and has had a devastating effect in the Philippines. The average price for one liter of fuel currently exceeds the daily minimum wage in the country, and many Filipinos are unable to pay. Filipino workers and parents are having to skip meals and make other serious sacrifices in order to make ends meet. Meanwhile, the Marcos-Duterte regime has stockpiled enough fuel for an entire month of military drills—fuel that is desperately needed by the Filipino people.

No support for immigrant workers

Community organizers denounced Marcos’ bid to join the United Nations Security Council, as well as the UN’s decision to use the Philippines’ migrant worker policies as a model for the rest of the world. Those policies have caused severe harm to the Filipino people and should not be emulated.

Speakers denounced the ways that the Marcos-Duterte regime has turned its back on immigrant workers, including by refusing to support Filipino immigrants kidnapped by ICE and detained for months without a trial. The Philippines supplies more than 20% of the world’s seafarers, including commercial shipping workers as well as cruise workers. Right now, many of those same Filipino workers are stranded on oil tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz as a result of Trump’s illegal war. Those workers are not being paid but are unable to return home, while their government continues to support the United States and Israel’s war.

The expansion of U.S. military presence and the campaign to kick Cerberus out of the Philippines

NYCHRP members also announced a new campaign targeting Cerberus Capital Management (CCM), a Manhattan-based private equity firm that has unjustly acquired 300 hectares of land on a former U.S. military base in Subic Bay, in the Philippines. The U.S. Navy was expelled from Subic Bay in 1991 after massive community uprisings against human rights abuses and environmental destruction by the U.S. military. Now, CCM is leasing that same land to U.S. weapons and defense contractors, and plans were recently announced to build the world’s largest munitions factory on that same land in Subic Bay, which will be the first U.S. ammunition plan in Asia.

The presence of CCM in Subic Bay has additional devastating effects on the local working-class communities: peasant communities are subject to bombings and displacement, fisherfolk are not permitted to fish during military drills, including the Balikatan exercises, and women and children living near U.S. bases are frequent victims of sex trafficking and assault.

NYCHRP and BAYAN members who visited Subic Bay in November 2025 reported: “Fisherfolk whose livelihoods depend on fishing near Subic Bay now face more and more problems with more coastal guards, maritime guards and militarization of the sea. The areas they are able to fish are now heavily restricted. There have been incidents of fishermen venturing out to get better catches and the Chinese Coast Guard is shooting water cannons at them. They can’t even pass close by to Cerberus’s complex because private security will point guns at them.”

This issue is especially pertinent for New Yorkers because the New York City Employees Retirement System and the New York State Teachers Retirement System have invested funds in Cerberus. To join NYCHRP’s campaign against Cerberus, email nychrp@protonmail.com.

#NewYorkNY #NY #NYC #Philippines #Bayan #International #NYCHRP #AntiWarMovement

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from BAYAN USA.

Filipinos overseas are heartbroken after witnessing the news of the 303rd Infantry Brigade led-attack on April 19 of 19 individuals and forcibly displaced more than 653 residents from 168 households in peasant communities in Toboso, Negros Occidental. Among the 19 killed, the families, friends and fellow organizers have confirmed Alyssa Alano and RJ Ledesma were amongst them.

Alyssa Alano League of Filipino Students Chairperson 2024-2025; University of the Philippines Diliman University Student Council 2025-2026

Alyssa's strong will and unwavering commitment to the oppressed is what many of her friends and fellow organizers have continued to share in their grieving. From the urban poor communities in the University of the Philippines to the peasant communities in Negros she was eager to serve our kababayan.

RJ Ledesma League of Filipino Students Bacolod Chairperson 2020; Kabataan Partylist’s 7th Nominee 2022; Altermidya Regional Coordinator, Negros Island

RJ's is a people's journalist. He exposed the realities of landlessness, and the effects of renewable energy projects – including solar farm expansion and windmill projects – on vulnerable farmer communities. He amplified the voices of marginalized communities through his writing to expose the green-washing projects that led to the genuine harm on the masses.

As BAYAN USA, we condemn Pres. Marcos’ NAP-UPD that led to this attack on Negros and the NTF-ELCAC for the narrative they are orchestrating through state-sponsored troll farms that seek to excuse their murder by posthumous terrorist tagging and vilification. These state-funded counterinsurgency programs that terrorize people who speak up and fight against state and corporate plunder are what led to their murder and why we – as overseas Filipinos – must continue to bring to light these fascist programs and demand an end to them.

On Earth Day, we recognize that the true defenders of people and planet are peoples journalists, land defenders, and human rights activists like Alyssa and RJ. We see through the lies and black propaganda of the bloodthirsty military and greedy bureaucrat capitalists who are the real terrorists. As overseas Filipinos, we must demand for justice and continue the fight that Alyssa and RJ dedicated their lives to.

DEFEND NEGROS!

UPHOLD INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW!

TUTULAN ANG MILITARISASYON SA KANAYUNAN!

#JusticeForAlyssaAlano#JusticeForRJLedesma

#International #Philippines #NDFP #Bayan

Chicago, IL – On Wednesday, February 25, a coalition of organizations fighting for human rights and democracy in the Philippines rallied outside of the Philippine Consulate to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the ousting of Marcos Sr. and the People Power Revolution, to confront continued corruption in the Philippines, and to hold the Philippine Consulate accountable for its neglect of Filipino migrants.

“Imperyalismo!” “Ibagksak!” “Marcos mismo!” “Babagsak!”

“Imperialism!” “Will topple!” “Marcos!” “Will topple!” chanted protesters.

The action commemorated the 1986 People Power Revolution (EDSA), in which the Filipino people fought against corruption and ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, whose rule saw grave human rights violations including extrajudicial imprisonment, torture, and the murder of 3240 Filipinos. Speakers emphasized that despite the ousting of Marcos Sr. in 1986, the struggle against corruption in the Philippines is ongoing and that collusion between the U.S. and Philippine government must end.

“Patience has never liberated a generation! Compliance has never protected democracy! Those crowds at EDSA were not waiting for permission, they flooded the streets!” declared a member of Anakbayan at UIC, a youth and student organization building international solidarity and fighting for the liberation of the Philippines.

Throughout the program, multiple groups performed songs about the struggle for national liberation in the Philippines. During one of the songs, Aklasan, the crowd was encouraged to sing along to the chorus:

“Bawat sipag, bawat lakas

Ay umaklas!

Diwang dungo’t ulong yuko’y

Itinayo

Ang maliit na ginahis

Ay nagtindig”

“Every effort, every force

Rose up!

Subdued spirits and bowed heads

Were lifted up!

The small that were subdued,

Stood up!”

Speakers from Malaya Chicago and Tanggol Migrante continued by uplifting the struggle for immigrant rights in the United States, citing the experiences of Filipino immigrants in detention who are experiencing medical neglect and incompetence from the Philippine Consulate.

One of the stories uplifted was that of Tita Rebecca, a 71-year-old Filipina grandmother who was held in ICE detention for nine months and repeatedly denied proper medical care or examination before being secretly deported without notice to her family. Throughout Tita Rebecca’s time in ICE detention, the Philippine Consulate proved to be unhelpful to her family and organizers, refusing to speak with her family and actively working with ICE to keep details of her deportation concealed.

“Lahat ng sangkot!” “Dapat managot!”

“Everyone involved!” “Must be held accountable!” chanted protesters.

Speakers also told the story of Chantal Anicoche, a Filipina-American youth activist taking part in an immersion trip who was kidnapped by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) following the U.S. backed bombing of the Mangyan people in Mindoro that killed five people. After a nearly month-long international campaign, Chantal Anicoche was freed and able to safely return home to the United States.

Organizers commenced the rally with more chants and a group photo.

“The people, united, will never be defeated!”

“El pueblo, unido, jamás será vencido!”

“Ang tao, ang bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban!”

Organizations participating in the event included Malaya, Migrante, Tanggol Migrante, Bayan, Anakbayan at UIC, Anakbayan Chicago, Philippine-U.S. Solidarity Organization (PUSO) Chicago, Chicago Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (CCHRP), Anti-War Committee Chicago (AWC), and the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR).

#ChicagoIL #IL #Anakbayan #Bayan #CAARPR #AWC #CCHRP #PUSO #International #Philippines

Washington, D.C. – On February 18, a diverse crowd gathered at Pershing Park for a Black and Filipino Unity Rally. Nearby, police cars and Secret Service vehicles loudly zipped around the area, preparing for the incoming visit by Trump’s so-called Board of Peace.

Chanting “From DC to the Philippines, stop the U.S. war machine,” the group marched to DC City Hall for the first leg of the demonstration. At city hall, protesters demanded an end to local government collaboration with federal immigration enforcement agencies. The group shouted, “City Council, do your job! Do your job!” and “The people united will never be defeated!”

An organizer with Bayan DMV spoke and stated, “The Filipino communities have been an integral part of the DMV for generations. This city has served as a landing place for Filipinos forced to leave their homeland, a land rich with natural resources and vibrant in its people, but polluted, exploited and impoverished by over a century of U.S. imperialism.”

The march ended at the White House where the group demanded an end to the militarization of Black and brown communities in the U.S. and the Philippines.

February, known as Black History Month, is also International Filipino Solidarity Month. To celebrate this shared month, organizers in the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines joined with Bayan DMV and others to organize a week of action to highlight and continue the 120-plus year history of Black and Filipino people’s shared struggle against US Imperialism.

The week of action began with a teach-in at Sankofa Cafe in Northwest DC, where attendees learned about the Black struggle for self-determination in the South, and Filipino people’s twin struggle for independence from Spain and the United States.

Later in the week, the group screened the film Revolution Selfie: The Red Battalion by Steven De Castro. The film was selected because it provides viewers with a direct perspective into the revolutionary armed struggles waged by the New People’s Army (NPA) against the U.S.-backed Marcos regime. The film shows one of the world’s first same-sex marriages, which occurred in 2005 between two soldiers of the NPA.

#WashingtonDC #DC #Philippines #Bayan #ICHRP #DCAARPR #International #OppressedNationalities

Seattle, WA – Approximately 120 protesters rallied at Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle on January 3 to condemn the U.S. military’s illegal bombings of Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro.

The rally program included speeches from Seattle Against War (SAW), the International League of People’s Struggles (ILPS) Seattle/Tacoma, Veterans for Peace (VFP) Daniel Ellsberg chapter, 350 Seattle, Capybara Colectiva, BAYAN Washington, bil-Yad, the National Lawyers’ Guild, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

Rae Lee from Seattle Against War opened the program condemning the bombings and kidnapping of Maduro as criminal acts. They went on to describe the similarities between the U.S. war on Iraq and the attacks on Palestinian people, both motivated by oil. Lee described their recent visit to Venezuela, where they visited communities governed by locally elected councils and exercising autonomy in local governance, a far cry from the U.S. media description of a dictatorship. Lee then led the crowd in chants calling for “No U.S. war on Venezuela!” and to “Free President Maduro!”

A member of bil-Yad, a local Palestinian solidarity organization told the crowd, “Imperialist powers demand that the oppressed hand over their land and resources, and that the oppressed should just accept whatever crumbs are left over after the oil and resources are taken, after the environment is destroyed, and after the people are reduced to landless and impoverished masses.”

“It’s not about drugs, it’s about the oil! U.S. off Venezuelan soil!” chanted Mary Paterson from 350 Seattle, who condemned the attacks as a clear imperialist power play for U.S. interests in Venezuelan oil. She highlighted the need for environmental-focused organizations to oppose U.S. imperialist interests and stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela, Palestine and the Philippines.

Representing the National Lawyers Guild, Marti Schmidt stated, “U.S. violations affect the entire international legal system, undermining respect for the U.S., causing fear and chaos, and spawning disinclination to rely on law.”

A Venezuelan immigrant member of Comunidad Sin Fronteras and Capybara Colectiva said, “The people who are best suited to control the future of Venezuela are the Venezuelan people themselves!” She went on to condemn the longstanding U.S. sanctions against Venezuela that has caused thousands of Venezuelan immigrants to migrate to Washington state where they’ve been forced at times to live in horrific and inhumane conditions made worse by the cuts to social security.

“This is the most unpopular war in U.S. history; over 70% of Americans do not want this,” said Izzy McCabe, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, “But we live in a dying empire, ruled by decaying pedophiles who march step over step towards their own graves, and as they realize their reign is coming to an end they flail, they kick, they scream in a desperate attempt to take the whole world with them.”

Describing having met community leaders in communes on her recent trip to Venezuela, McCabe said, “they have created real people power, participatory democracy, social programs, communes, neighborhood assemblies. In Venezuela the people rule, and for that the United States has declared them an existential threat.”

McCabe continued “When we fight we are not just fighting against a single war, we are fighting for the environment, we are fighting for freedom for immigrants, we are fighting for the national liberation of Black and Chicano Americans, we are fighting for indigenous sovereignty. And in this fight, it is important that we unite around action. In the Freedom Road Socialist Organization our strategy is to build the broadest possible united front against our common enemy.”

#SeattleWA #WA #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #SAW #ILPS #VFP #BAYAN #FRSO

“We mobilized our membership to further the global campaign against corruption in the Philippines government,” a member of Anakbayan DC said. “This was recently highlighted by the misuse of funds for flood control projects. 180 billion pesos are unaccounted for and our kababayan [fellow Filipinos] are the ones that suffer, not the bureaucratic capitalists that run the country.”

The mood among attendees was high despite rain and near-freezing temperatures. After a short rally in DuPont Circle, protesters took to the streets, chanting slogans like “Imperyalismo — Ibagsak!” (Down with imperialism) and “Burukrata Kapitalismo — Ibagsak!” (Down with bureaucrat capitalism) as they marched to the Philippine embassy.

“It’s important for people in the U.S., both Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike, to stand up against injustice in the Philippines considering the colonial relationship and hegemony that the United States has over the Philippines,” said Jom Dolor, co-coordinator of BAYAN DMV and deputy secretary general of MIGRANTE USA.

“You should also see the role that the U.S. plays in both destabilizing the governments and peoples’ movements, all around the world, including the Philippines,” he continued. “It’s also important to see how it profits, both from the wars it instigates and perpetuates in the Philippines and also from the materiel and weapons industry it promotes to counter supposed ‘Chinese influence’ in the region.”

Speaking about her recent trip to the Philippines, a member of Anakbayan Montgomery County said, “I’ve witnessed the effects of the corruption firsthand, charging through the floodwaters in España, visiting barangay [neighborhood or village] heads and seeing what the community members needed. And what we learned is that the youth were actually the first people to visit these barangays and actually investigate and see what people needed.”

Towards the end of the action, organizers brought out a paper mache effigy of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, a leading figure in the massive corruption scandals which have rocked the Philippines in recent weeks. The action ended with activists, carrying the flags of various Filino liberation organizations, surrounding the effigy of Marcos Jr. and beating it with their flagpoles while the crowd chanted “Si Marcosmismo – Babagsak!” (Marcos will fall).

The action was organized by BAYAN DMV. During the action, BAYAN and its allies reaffirmed that they would continue to fight against corruption in the Philippines, as well as the exploitation and oppression of Filipinos both at home and overseas.

#WashingtonDC #International #Philippines #BAYAN #MIGRANTE #

New York, NY – on the evening of Saturday, September 27, around 50 people gathered outside the Philippines Consulate in New York City to confront corrupt diplomats. Organized by BAYAN Northeast, the rally began at around 8 p.m. on a warm and balmy night.

Powerful chants could be heard throughout 5th Avenue, as BAYAN organizations talked about the corruption the people of the Philippines are currently facing. As each politician lines their pockets with money, the Filipino people suffer.

This action took part during the final hours of U.N. Week, which is when diplomats and government officials from around the world descend onto New York City to discuss international affairs. These meetings have real-world consequences, and the week is filled with militant action against some of the worst global figures we’ve seen on the world stage. This week boasted figures like President Trump and Netanyahu, both who were protested by different organizations.

The Philippine President Marcos Jr. was supposed to make an appearance. However, he cancelled and sent some of his cronies instead. Members of BAYAN did not want to miss their opportunity to confront members of the Marcos government. At around 9 p.m., a few diplomats entered through the consulate doors and were followed by jeers, boos and chants of “Do your job.”

A while later, another official left on his way home, and members of the rally followed him down the block. A megaphone was pushed into the diplomat’s face, shaming him for his role in the state of the Philippines. Each official that followed was greeted by a militant crowd yelling the down. They couldn’t escape the overwhelming chants from the energized protesters.

Andan Bonafacio, the national leader of BAYAN USA, gave a powerful speech to close out the protest stating, “If this week has shown us anything, it is that the officials in this building, Marcos himself, live in a completely different world than the Filipino people. They live in their own delusions. Delusions built on the sweat, blood and tears of the forced family separation of Filipinos in the country and here abroad.”

#NewYorkNY #NY #International #Philippines #BAYAN

San Francsico, CA – On July 28, over 350 activists rallied outside the Philippines consulate in San Francisco for the People’s State of the Nation Address. The PSONA is an annual event meant to contrast with the state of the nation address given by Philippines President Ferdinand “Bong-bong” Marcos Junior. The PSONA addresses the struggles faced by Filipino workers both at home and abroad, and the neglect that the Marcos administration has for the people it claims to protect.

This year’s PSONA focused heavily on how the consulates have failed to support Filipino migrant workers facing deportations and ICE attacks, along with President Marcos’ close collaboration with the racist, warmongering, anti-immigrant Trump administration. The Philippine consulate in San Francisco was blasted for its refusal to aid migrant workers, even encouraging many to self-deport.

The program of the PSONA included speakers from the Tanggol Migrante movement, BAYAN USA, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), Gabriela, Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students and the Malaya movement.

Chants and slogans emphasized the complicity of the comprador Marcos regime, such as “Marcos, traydor, tuta ni Trump!” Meaning “Marcos, traitor, lapdog of Trump!” as well as “Sino, sino, sino ang terrorista? Si Marcos, si Trump, sila ang terrorista!” meaning “Who, who, who are the terrorists? Marcos, Trump, they are the terrorists!”

Patrick Racela of Migrante NorCal gave an introductory speech to start out the program, calling out President Marcos directly, stating, “How is it that you can come to the United States and claim that you are serving the people, when in essence what you have done is bow down to Trump, and sell out our homeland? Shame!”

Brandon Lee, chairperson of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, a longtime activist and fighter in the Filipino activist movement, also joined the program. Lee was the target of an assassination attempt from the Philippine military, which had left him crippled. He has continued to organize for justice and human rights in the Philippines and participated in the PSONA to call out the Philippine consulate in SF. Lee criticized the consulate for its refusal to allow him into the building to deliver letters from the community demanding that the Philippine commission on human rights reopen his case.

“The Philippines has long been one of the largest recipients of U.S. military aid in Southeast Asia, for bombs, ammunition and other equipment, supposedly to counter external threats. However in reality, this has been used for its internal military operations, to bomb and strafe communities, and kill Filipinos,” said Lee. “Across the Philippines, many communities are losing their livelihoods, and homes, in the name of so-called ‘development projects,’ causing environmental destruction.”

Other speakers shed light on the difficulties faced by Filipino migrant workers, who received no help and support from the Philippine consulates on their arrival to the U.S. Kuya Jay, chairperson of Migrante San Francisco shared his personal experiences. “Many of us left the Philippines to support our families. But what we found when we got here was far from what we hoped for. I slept in a storage room. We didn’t have proper meals. We didn’t receive overtime pay. We worked day and night – and were treated as if we didn’t deserve rest, or even a voice.”

“Why are Filipinos forced to leave our country in the first place? It’s not because we want to leave, it’s because we are forced to,” said Rachel Lucero, an organizer with Malaya SF. “It’s because of the conditions in the Philippines. Since Marcos Junior took office, 3 million more Filipinos are living in poverty. The number of hungry families has doubled. And when our people try to fight back against their conditions, they are met with violence! Shame!”

KC Avilla, an organizer for Malaya San Francisco told the crowd, “Marcos Jr. is protecting himself, and his own family's power. He knows that the next person that we will come after for corruption is him.“

Andan Bonifacio, chairperson of Bayan USA, closed out with a speech reaffirming the Filipino people’s dedication to fighting back. “Real change will never come from the likes of Marcos. Real change will never come from the likes of the Dutertes. It’ll come from us, the people. It won’t come trying to serve the interests of the foreign imperialists. It’ll come from us, learning and fighting to stand on our own two feet.”

Although attacks against Filipino migrant workers escalate under the Trump administration in the U.S, whilst the Marcos administration continues to oppress and exploit the Filipino people while acting as a puppet for U.S. interests, the Filipino people are not sitting idly by. Filipino organizations are ready to struggle and fight for victory over reaction, whether it is found in the puppet Marcos regime in the Philippines, or in the tyrannical Trump administration here in the U.S.

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #International #Philippines #Bayan #Marcos #BongBong #PSONA #Malaya

Washington, DC – Filipino community organizations and allies rallied in front of the Philippine Embassy in DC on Monday, July 28, to protest the U.S.-backed Marcos regime’s State of the Nation Address, and to deliver their own “Peoples State of the Nation Address”.

The event began with chants of “Makibaka! Huwag Matako!” and “Long live international solidarity!” Then, after a brief introduction, speakers were invited to the stage to address issues affecting the Filipino people at home and abroad.

Desmond Yankah from the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines stated, “We know that by stationing U.S.-made weapons and U.S. troops in the Philippines, a target is being painted on Filipinos’ backs.”

Other speakers touched on issues affecting Filipino migrants, including increasing ICE detention and violence.

A speaker from International League of Peoples Struggles Baltimore-DMV told the crowd, “Now we are experiencing rising attacks in the U.S. using the violence of the state to crack down on workers and migrants and destroying communities to make them more vulnerable to exploitation.”

The event concluded with a cultural performance of a Filipino protest song by members of Anakbayan Montgomery County, and a call for organizers to continue to mobilize for the needs of the people of the Philippines at home and abroad.

“Our ache for the solution stretches far beyond today,” said the speaker for BAYAN DMV, “It goes as far back as our ancestors who were first colonized, and will go as far forward as it takes to achieve true Philippine liberation. In the Philippines and here overseas, we must carry on the unfinished legacy of the national democratic movement by organizing the working class.”

#WashingtonDC #International #Philippines #SONA #BAYAN

New York, NY – About 200 people gathered in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza on the beautiful Saturday afternoon, March 1, to protest the U.S./Republic of Korea (ROK) Freedom Shield exercises in Korea. Nodutdol organized the action, and it was part of a day of action where protests took place in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle to demand an end to U.S. militarization and escalation towards war.

The Freedom Shield exercises will be taking place between March 10 and March 19 in South Korea. Freedom Shield is a routine defensive training event that occurs between the U.S. and one of its allies, in this case the Republic of Korea, to strengthen its alliance with that nation. However, it also promotes war and could escalate already fraught tensions with the Democratic Republic of Korea.

The springtime U.S./ROK military exercises have been ongoing since 1976, and it wasn’t until 2023 that Biden named them the “Freedom Shield.” In the same year, tensions within the Korean region spiked.

The U.S. Out of Korea campaign is not only calling for an end to these exercises, but an end to U.S. intervention within the Korean peninsula. Nodutdol gathered over 100 U.S. organizations to endorse a statement calling on President Trump to abide by these demands.

Nodutdol organizers led a rally and protest, with a leading chant being “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air! U.S. out of everywhere!”

Speakers from various organizations, such as Bayan USA, spoke in solidarity with Nodutdol and the U.S. Out of Korea campaign.

Ket Maarte of BAYAN Northeast said, “BAYAN stands in solidarity with our Korean comrades in their demands to cancel Freedom Shield 25 and remove U.S. military out of Korean land. It is a shame that the Philippines was one out of the 12 nations to participate in the U.S./ROK exercises last year. But it is not surprising that our government is complicit in the ongoing militarism against the Korean working class. The Filipino people know all too well what it is like to have our land, sea, and people exploited for the interests of U.S. imperialism. It is imperative that we show our solidarity in the genuine liberation of the Korean and Filipino working class! Because if the U.S. falls in one, the U.S. falls in all.”

After the march, the rally ended with calls of solidarity and rousing chants.

#NewYorkNY #NY #AntiWarMovement #SouthKorea #International #Nodutdol #BAYAN

New York, NY – At 4 p.m. on January 20, New Yorkers braved the cold and the snow to gather on the steps of the Brooklyn War Memorial to protest Trump’s presidency and to resist the Trump agenda.

Protesters chanted “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA!” and “Racist, sexist, anti-gay! Donald Trump, go away!” making it clear that not only did they oppose Trump, but that they opposed the entire agenda that he represents.

Protesters upheld a broad range of demands, including community control of the police, legalization for all immigrants, an end to all aid to Israel, protection of workers’ rights to unionize and strike, and the defense of women’s and LGBTQ rights.

After Shivani Ishwar of NYAARPR started the rally with a round of chanting “When I say people, you say power,” and “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go!” The crowd heard from speakers from Columbia SDS, Brooklyn Eviction Defense, and FRSO NYC.

The rally was organized by the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR) and endorsed by NYU and Columbia Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Brooklyn Eviction Defense, BAYAN North East, GABRIELA NY, from Pratt, FIT, Adelphi, and St. John’s University.

Speaking on behalf of FRSO, Michela Martinazzi said “In New York we have to be especially careful of this Trump presidency, as cop-Mayor Adams is courting Trump to come into New York City to solve ‘the migrant situation.’ Our own mayor is selling us out to the same man that New York state indicted on 34 separate counts!” To cheers from the crowd, she added, “And while I don’t know which battles we’re going to fight next, I want us to take something away from today. We, the people, are resilient. We, the people, fight back! We the people can win!”

Participants left the rally with the knowledge that this fight is not over. NYAARPR and other organizations leading the people’s movements will continue the fight against Trump and the reactionary agenda for the next four years, and until the people win!

#NewYorkNY #NY #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #J20 #NAARPR #NYAARPR #FRSO #BAYAN #SDS

Washington, DC – On July 6, the Resist NATO Coalition hosted a Counter-Summit with over 300 attendees from across the country, two panels, and a cultural performance. This year is the 75th anniversary of the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The Resist NATO coalition states, “In practice, NATO acts as an armed wing of U.S.-led war.” Key slogans from the event included calls for the U.S. out of the Philippines, and an end to the ongoing U.S.-backed genocide of the Palestinian people.

The Resist NATO coalition is comprised of over 60 organizations such as the International League of Peoples’ Struggle – US (ILPS-US), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Bayan USA, Black Alliance for Peace (BAP), the International Action Center, and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR).

The coalition was formed in response to NATO hosting a summit in Washington, DC this year July 9, 10 and 11.

The speaking panels featured activists and organizers from the peoples’ struggles, such as Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), Nodutdol, Diaspora Pa’lante Collective, Pan-African Community Action, etc.; discussing how to connect their fights through the collective need to dismantle NATO and resist its military aggression and escalation.

One of the panelists, from the Milwaukee Anti-War Committee, discussed the need to join the March on the RNC in Milwaukee on July 15 to fight against the racist and reactionary Trump agenda.

One of the panelists, an organizer in Palestinian Youth Movement, stated, “The NATO military alliance was created to protect Western imperialist interests in the wake of growing communism and people’s liberation movements internationally after World War II. NATO is anti-people in nature, a piece in the imperialist war machine that aims to crush national liberation movements in order to maintain Western hegemonic rule and control over the world’s resources.”

The Counter-Summit was followed by a mass mobilization the next day.

#WashingtonDC #AntiWarMovement #NATO #ResistNATO #ILPS #FRSO #Bayan #BAP #NAARPR #IAC

“Rim of the Pacific is the largest military exercise held anywhere in the world and takes place every two years in U.S.-occupied Hawai'i,” said Katie Comfort, a member of the International Women's Alliance's Global Secretariat and representative for the Cancel RIMPAC campaign. “Organizers in Hawai'i have been mobilizing against RIMPAC for decades, drawing attention to the environmental degradation, violence against women, and overall negative impact on the people living on the islands.”

“Today is an important and significant day to hold this press conference, as RIMPAC's opening banquet is kicking off tonight in San Diego with the heads of U.S. and foreign militaries,” continued Comfort.

Organizers from both Hawai'i and San Diego spoke about the disastrous effects these exercises have on both areas. Rose Elovitz, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace Hawai'i, spoke about the effects RIMPAC has on Hawai'i and its people, saying, “The rate of sex trafficking – which disproportionately affects native Hawaiian women and girls – rises 30% during RIMPAC. The use of navy sonar has been proved to confuse and harm whales, leading to mass die-offs and beachings. The wellbeing of people, land and water are not a concern to the U.S. military agenda.”

From the other coast, members of the Resist NATO coalition spoke about their efforts to fight back against the upcoming 2024 NATO Summit.

Speaking for the Resist NATO coalition, BAYAN USA and Anakbayan Montgomery County member Gabby Rivera said, “Since its creation in DC in 1949, NATO has served as the armed wing of U.S.-led imperialism. This upcoming NATO summit on July 9 through 11 marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in DC — and with it the founding of NATO.”

Rivera continued, “Here they will introduce major policies such as new sanctions, military budgets, mass surveillance and cyberwar initiatives. None of these will be in the interests of the international working class and oppressed, but rather the imperialist leaders with the US at their head.”

In addition to the Cancel RIMPAC Campaign and the Resist NATO Coalition, the press conference also featured speakers from the International League of Peoples' Struggle, Malaya San Diego, Jewish Voice for Palestine Hawai'i, the African National Women's Organization, the Palestinian Youth Movement, Pan-African Community Action, and BAYAN USA.

This press conference is one of a variety of actions in San Diego and Hawai'i, all of which lead up to a people's summit and mobilizations against RIMPAC in San Diego on June 29 and June 30, respectively. Next week, the Resist NATO coalition will also hold a people's summit on July 6 and a march on July 7 to protest NATO's 75th anniversary summit in DC.

#WashingtonDC #DC #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #NATO #IWA #BAYAN #ILPS #JVP #Malaya #PYM #PACA #ANWO

Celine Qussiny from Palestinian Youth Movement explained that Palestinians have a right to resist and respond to the ongoing Zionist attacks and occupation. “This escalation is a direct response to 75 years of ongoing Nakba and ethnic cleansing. The Zionist entity bears full responsibility for this escalation.” She ended her speech with “the struggle for Palestinian liberation continues and will continue until the complete liberation and return of our people!”

President Joe Biden has called the operation a terrorist assault and has stated that the U.S. is “ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the government and people of Israel.”

In response to these accusations of terrorism, John Nonato from Anakbayan University of California, Irvine and Bayan Southern California, stated: “We understand that it’s the U.S. imperialists that are the number one terrorists. The U.S. imperialists funding the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces], the occupation forces that are also training the armed forces in the Philippines to suppress our people. We have a right to resist – it is not terrorism.”

#AnaheimCA #Palestine #PalestinianYouthMovement #Anakbayan #Bayan

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

New York, NY – Several dozen organizers and community members gathered outside the Philippine Consulate on 5th Avenue, November 4, to demand that the government of the Philippines release the 62 organizers of legal, mass organizations who were arrested Negros and Metro Manila.

The emergency rally was called as the Duterte Regime amped up its repression. On October 26, the military dropped 500-pound bombs on Samar Island to further crackdown on organizing. This was followed by raids on the regional offices of GABRIELA, BAYAN MUNA, and the National Federation of Sugar Workers on October 31. During these raids, 60 activists were arrested. There are reports that on November 4, a new slew of activists were also raided and arrested.

The NYC rally was organized by BAYAN North East and had speakers from various organizations in solidarity with the alliance, such as The International Action Center, NY Boricua Resistance, and the New York Community Action Project.

The protesters were out there for well over an hour and a half and ensured that the streets of New York not only heard their demands but heard their chants to oust the U.S.-Duterte regime!

#NewYorkNY #NewYorkCityNY #AntiwarMovement #InJusticeSystem #Labor #OppressedNationalities #Philippines #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #AsianNationalities #BAYAN #PoliticalRepression #Antifascism #RodrigoDuterte #NationalFederationOfSugarWorkers

New York, NY – Over 100 protesters gathered outside of the Philippine Consulate General in New York City on July 22 for the People’s State of the Nation Address. This action was part of a larger call to oust U.S.-backed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as he gave his State of the Nation address.

Despite heavy rain, the crowd was strong and enthusiastic. The protest was organized by Malaya Movement Northeast and included speeches from various Filipino and ally organizations. The speakers highlighted the different ways in which President Duterte has committed human rights abuses, and the need for organization against his government.

“From Duterte’s war on the urban poor, to massacres of indigenous people and farmers defending their right to land, our people have the courage to strike for better wages and working conditions, to occupy housing because it’s their basic right, to form bungkalans and assert their right to the land, to defend ancestral domains, to give you their lives in order to take up arms because they see no other choice in fighting for their freedom,” said Nikki Pagulayan from BAYAN USA Northeast.

The protest ended with a cultural performance and hoisting a banner that read, “Oust Duterte. Traitor, torturer, dictator!”

#NewYorkNY #NewYorkCityNY #OppressedNationalities #Philippines #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #AsianNationalities #BAYAN #RodrigoDuterte #Filipino

Boston, MA – Workers and students packed into the office of Boston’s Chinese Progressive Association on April 27 to hear labor activists from the Philippines speak about the state of working-class struggle in their country. The event, sponsored by the Boston chapter of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), featured speakers Raymond “Mong” Palatino and Ed Cubello.

Palatino is the chairperson of BAYAN, an alliance of Filipino progressive organizations, in metro Manila. He guided the crowd through a brief overview of the history of the Philippines, leading up to the current regime of Rodrigo Duterte. He then introduced Ed Cubello, the chair of the Metro Manila chapter of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), the militant trade union center in the Philippines.

Cubello described the dire working conditions and poverty faced by much of the working class in the Philippines as well as efforts to organize and fight back led by the KMU. The speakers also addressed the increased repression faced by trade unionists under Duterte. The crowd was clearly impacted by these stories, with one worker in attendance simply saying (through a Cantonese interpreter), “They must be freed.”

The speakers noted the important role that international solidarity has played throughout the history of the Filipino people’s struggle. A recently passed resolution from the San Francisco Labor Council calling for an end to U.S. military aid to the Duterte regime was highlighted. Many of those in attendance committed to call for their unions and community organizations to engage in similar acts of solidarity.

#BostonMA #Labor #Philippines #PeoplesStruggles #BAYAN #KMU #Asia

Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 trade unionists gathered at the United Labor Centre here, April 25, to hear Ed Cubelo, the president of Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Workers Association and chairman of the Metro Manila chapter of the major trade union federation in the Philippines – Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) or 'May First Labor Movement.' Also speaking was Raymond “Mong” Palatino, the chairperson of the metro Manila chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-BAYAN, a progressive alliance of people’s organizations.

KMU leader Ed Cubelo talked about the conditions faced by workers in the Philippines under the reactionary U.S.-backed regime of President Rodrigo Duterte, and the struggle for decent working conditions at U.S.-controlled multinational corporations. The KMU has organized a wave of powerful protests, strikes and workplace occupations to improve the lot of Filipino workers.

About $4000 was pledged to support a KMU workers’ school at the speaking event.

On April 26, a meeting was held which included the Philippine guests and some of Minnesota’s top labor leaders.

#MinneapolisMN #Labor #OppressedNationalities #Philippines #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #WorkersAndGlobalization #BAYAN #KilusangMayoUno #ToyotaMotorPhilippinesCorporationWorkersAssociation

New York, NY – Over 200 people gathered in New York City on Sept. 16 to protest against the U.S.-backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s government of the Philippines. The action was to bring attention to the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, the crackdown and murders of opposition leaders, poverty, and the martial law that is currently in place.

BAYAN is a national alliance of progressive Filipino organizations. The protest was the conclusion of BAYAN’s 6th Congress, which included their various affiliated groups from across the country.

The first part of the action took place in Grand Central, where there was a mic check and banner drop. The powerful chant took over the building as the words, “From Iraq, Palestine to the Philippines, stop the U.S. war machine!” rang through the historic building. The crowd then walked to Pershing Square, a symbolic location because it was named after General John J. Pershing, the U.S. Army officer who oversaw the slaughtering of the Moro people during the Philippine-American War.

After some chanting, the crowd marched to the Philippine Consulate General. After arriving, various BAYAN organizations gave speeches about the conditions in the Philippines. Organizations represented included Migrante USA, Gabriela USA, Anakbayan USA, and Malaya Movement.

Along with BAYAN speakers, organizations in solidarity with the movement also spoke, which included Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR), Within Our Lifetime, and International Action Center. Jake Holtzman gave a speech on behalf of CSFR.

“We need to do everything we can to protect and support the activists and revolutionaries who are doing the real work that will help liberate the masses in the Philippines,” said Holtzman.

The action ended with people hitting a Duterte effigy with their organizations’ flags and a determination to continue fighting back against Duterte and U.S. imperialism.

#NewYorkNY #NewYorkCityNY #AntiwarMovement #Philippines #Asia #BAYAN #Antifascism #RodrigoDuterte #CommitteeToStopFBIRepressionNYC