Leftist groups to field 25,000 on Edsa 1 anniv

The Left-leaning Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and the Gloria Step Down Movement (GSM) said it will deploy 25,000 protesters to mark the 20th anniversary celebration of the People Power revolution on February 24. “If Gloria Arroyo thinks her absence will spell sparse attendance at the gathering next week, she has a lot of thinking to do," said GSM spokesman Dennis Maga. “Mrs. Arroyo is again afflicted with selective amnesia, choosing to forget an important milestone in Philippine history," he said. Maga said Arroyo does not want to celebrate people power because she does not want the people to use the same power to remove her from office. He said that on the morning of February 24, Bayan and the GSM will hold a rally at the People Power monument along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue. A caravan going to Liwasang Bonifacio will follow where it will link up with other anti-Arroyo groups. Bayan said it expects to bring in 25,000 protesters to the occasion. Maga said people power, which catapulted Arroyo and Corazon Aquino to power in 2001 and 1986, will remain a nightmare for the incumbent president because it is an event she is trying to avoid. He said Arroyo is causing resurgence in the protest movement because of her mismanagement of the government and her attempts to cover up corruption. “We’re going back to the streets," said Renato Reyes Jr, Bayan secretary general. “Not even Arroyo’s rosy optimism and misleading economic forecasts can stop protesters from taking to the streets." He said the more the Arroyo regime tries to dismiss the people’s demands, the more the people will keep organizing protest actions against her. Maga said Bayan will be celebrating the continuing relevance of People Power in a time when those who benefited from EDSA have abandoned its spirit. “Mrs. Arroyo touts herself as an expert in economics, but she’s a poor student of history. She refuses to accept that restiveness among the people and within the military are crucial factors in the ouster of any regime," Maga said. The President on Wednesday said that she will not attend the historical event. But on Thursday, Malacaňang drew up plans that will include the possible meeting of Arroyo and Aquino at EDSA. Aquino has been calling for the resignation of the President.-GMANEWS.TV