Students protest naked

Friday, June 02, 2006
Naked protesters v. tuition hike nabbed
By Ben O. Tesiorna

DAVAO CITY -- Police arrested eight young protesters Thursday not for airing their sentiments against soaring school fees but for marching on Davao City streets butt naked.

The protesters from militant group Akbayan were arrested by San Pedro police Thursday morning after they marched naked from the University of Mindanao on Bolton Street up to Roxas Boulevard fronting the Ateneo de Davao University, holding only placards to cover their private parts.

Nude protests were held simultaneously in Manila and other major cities like General Santos and Zamboanga.

The nude protest started at 10:30 am.

In Manila, some 30 males aged 18 to 22 years old belonging to the Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Lakas ng Kabataan (Alyansa) ran naked for a few minutes on the streets of Espana, Morayta, and Mendiola to protest government's meager allocations for education and the uncontrolled tuition increases.

They called on government to give attention to the plight of some 13 million youngsters who were forced to leave school because of the runaway tuition and the neglect of government for the sector.

Protesters in Davao, meanwhile, covered their faces with paint to make them unrecognizable. Police said they would file charges of public scandal against the protesters.

The protesters, police added, were carrying placards, some of which called for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's ouster and a wage increase, among others.

An official of Akbayan, however, denied there were placards calling for Arroyo's ouster.

Rosie Calumpong, Akbayan national council member, said the protesters were not flaunting their nakedness in the public as the placards hid their private parts, and added the charges are purely meant to harass them.

The naked protesters are facing charges for grave scandal. One of them is a 16-year-old boy from Ma-a, according to Calumpong.

She said all of the protesters voluntarily participated in the naked protest Thursday and were never coerced by the group.

Aside from grave scandal, police are also poised to file child abuse against the organizers, unconfirmed reports showed. Akbayan sought legal aid from the Public Attorney's Office.

As of this posting, the protesters were still detained while awaiting bail from their colleagues. (Sun.Star Davao/With ECV)

(June 2, 2006 issue)
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Sounds to me like the students have the right idea. Why don't they just send a few pics along to the yahoo group? Isn't it amazing that the naked body winds up police and govt authorities so much? And were the protesters detained in the cells naked???? Oh!!! Now my mind is wandering again...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/performingmales