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The Art and Elements of Protest
A photo essay by Anjon Galauran
When President Nonoy Aquino presumed office in 2010, Filipinos were hopeful that another President will bring forth change.
However, as the President’s term nears its twilight years, fundamental problems of Philippine society remain.
Landlessness among farmers remains widespread, workers suffer low wages, the youth are deprived of access to education, urban poor communities hardly live in decent housing, and human rights violations remain prevalent.
The Aquino government along with legislators, on the other hand are tied-up in a mess. Recently, the government faced public criticism over misused public funds and questionable funding of projects. Among issues that hounded the administration were the Priority Development Assistance Fund, the Pork Barrel scam, the Disbursement Acceleration Program, and an Impeachment case.
But despite the prevalence of these problems, one thing remains constant; the people will not be silenced to demand what is duly theirs.
This photo essay presents images the photographer captured while covering protests held during the term of President Aquino. The photos try to portray protest at its pure form, a public clamour against a desolate state. However, beyond the notion of marching men and chanting crowds, these protests are also a form of art, an expression of the mob’s creativity and rage fused into metaphorical creation, and materialized into action by hundreds or thousands of supporters.
As some people say that protests are a microcosm of a revolution, this essay reveals that in the Philippines, a revolution is indeed brewing among the ranks of the people. ###
