After seeing how the new protest action disrupted traffic during Mondayâs transport strike, Manila police are adopting a tougher stance against demonstrators engaged in âplanking" in the middle of busy city streets. âPlankingâ involves lying face down in unusual places, with oneâs body rigidly straight and arms to sides to mimic a wooden plank, then having photographs or videos of the act taken for posting on the Internet. The Manila Police District (MPD) said it may break up âplanking" sessions and detain those engaged in the act especially if they pose a danger to others, radio dzBBâs Carlo Mateo reported. On Monday, several youth protesters engaged in âplanking" along busy España Boulevard in Manilaâs busy Sampaloc district, slowing down traffic in the area. MPD spokesman Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo appealed to groups organizing protest actions not to hold such acts, saying they are endangering their own lives.
âPlankingâ protest in Manila roads A group of around 30 youths from the League of Filipino Students (LFS) and Anakbayan were showing support for the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operaor Nationwide (PISTON) in holding a ânationwide" transport strike to protest rising prices of fuel. At the time, police did not move against the militants as they were under instructions to observe âmaximum tolerance" in dealing with protesters. Authorities were surprised when the traffic lights turned red and several youths rushed into the streets to execute their âplankingâ protest at the corner of España Boulevard and M. Dela Fuente Street. Beginning at around 9 a.m. Monday, the planking protest was supposed to take place in 10-15 minute intervals up until 6 p.m. But at 10 a.m., police prevented the militants from again âplankingâ in the middle of the streets. The militants then proceeded to the Mabuhay Rotunda to continue their protest action. Police vehicles originally meant to provide free rides to stranded motorists ended up escorting the members of the protest rally to their change of venue. At the Mabuhay Rotunda, protesters again dropped onto the pavement to do âplankingâ but the police immediately pulled them off the streets to avoid traffic disruption.
Previous âplankingâ protests Mondayâs transport strike was not the first time âplankingâ was used as a means of protest. On July 19, just a few days before the first State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III, hundreds of students protested against his administration's budget cuts for state universities and colleges and âlack of decisive steps to curb tuition and other fee hikes" in an event dubbed as âMass Planking for our Right to Education." But the first recorded use of âplankingâ in protest actions occurred in May this year in Shenzhen, China. Protesters planked outside a shareholder meeting to demand higher wages and decry treatment of employees at Foxconn where there was a spate of workers' suicides in 2010.
â With a report from Marlon Anthony Tonson/RSJ, GMA News