Protests vs Cybercrime Law rage on multiple fronts

Online and offline, various groups voiced their strong opposition to the controversial Anti-Cybercrime Law, which they branded as a threat to Filipinos' right to freedom of expression.

 

Student groups picketed the Supreme Court along Padre Faura Street in Manila to ask the high court to stop what they called a "Cyber Martial Law."

 

Photos posted on the Twitter account of the De La Salle University student publication The LaSallian showed students wearing black and carrying black placards with the message "Stop Cyber Martial Law," as part of "Black Tuesday."  

Black Tuesday: We are against the passage of the Cybercrime Prevention Act twitter.com/TheLaSallian/s…

— The LaSallian (@TheLaSallian) October 2, 2012

 

The LaSallian also tweeted a photo showing police in Manila briefly blocking protesters from getting near the high court premises:

Protesters barred from going near supreme court as of 10:40am. fb.me/1ttSacn0d

— The LaSallian (@TheLaSallian) October 2, 2012

 

However, the police eventually allowed the protesters to get near the Supreme Court as of 10:50 a.m.:

Police now allowed Anti-Cybercrime Law protesters near the Supreme Court. 10:50am. fb.me/1qA2LkYhK

— The LaSallian (@TheLaSallian) October 2, 2012

 

At the picket line, a LaSallian photo showed some of the protesters covering their mouths with black tape.

 

Meanwhile, militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. tweeted the protest prompted the closure of a part of Padre Faura Street:

Faura in front of SC now closed because of protest vs cybercrime law. mabuhay ang internet freedom #fb

— Renato Reyes, Jr. (@natoreyes) October 2, 2012

On the online front, meanwhile, many Facebook and Twitter users replaced their profile images with black to protest the anti-cybercrime law.

 

Some even replaced the text of their status updates with black blocks, with the message "[POST BLOCKED] (RA No. 10175)," with RA 10175 referring to the Republic Act number of the Anti-Cybercrime Law. — TJD, GMA News