Philippines Police Arrest 20 At Pride Event
July 3, 2020Police in the capital of the Philippines, Manila, have arrested more than 20 people at an LGBT+ Pride event protesting an anti-terrorism bill that threatens rule of law in the country.
There were no allegations of violence and the police did not explain why they were making the arrests, other than stating that their actions were prohibited by law. The protesters were charged under the Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases (2019) and the Public Assembly Act (1985). According to Philippine human rights advocates, these law do not prohibit protests and rallies.
It was also noted that the protesters were following all social distancing protocols and wearing masks.
As ‘Human Rights Watch’ reports, these arrests have made it even more clear why protests against the Anti-Terrorism Act started, since the Act would make it much easier for police to arrest critics of the government without a court warrant and the right to detain them without charge for up to 24 days.
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