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Iglesia ni Cristo protesters turn EDSA-Shaw into concert grounds
(Updated 8:23 a.m.) What used to be a busy intersection in Metro Manila turned into an impromptu concert venue Friday night as Iglesia ni Cristo members flocked in protest.
At the intersection of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong, singers and musicians sang popular songs, and the crowd joined in.
When the song "Kapayapaan" was sung, many shouted calls for peace, with some unfurling Philippine flags.
READ: PHOTO GALLERY: Inside the Iglesia ni Cristo rally at EDSA
The Iglesia ni Cristo members gathered at the EDSA-Shaw intersection to continue their protest against what they called Justice Secretary Leila de Lima's meddling in internal church affairs.
The Department of Justice is looking into charges filed by former Iglesia ni Cristo minister Isaias Samson Jr. against the religious group's officials for allegedly detaining and harassing him and his family — an accusation denied by the church's officials.
The members of the influential church first staged their vigil and protest in front of the DOJ building on Padre Faura Street in Manila on Thursday.
They moved to EDSA on Friday afternoon, and reports said church members intend to stay along the busy thoroughfare, site of historic protests against the government, until Monday.
On Friday night, while the impromptu concert was ongoing, however, some members of the church could be seen sleeping on cartons, plastic items, even on the road island—any place where they could grab a few winks.
Ambulances could be seen in the area, ready to respond to any emergency.
The Eastern Police District estimated the crowd on Shaw Boulevard to be at about 2,500 at around 2 a.m.
A statement from the church said that Iglesia ni Cristo is merely defending religious freedom.
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said that while the government recognizes the Iglesia ni Cristo's right to protest, he said that this cannot trample on the rights of others.
He added "preserving peace and order with maximum tolerance will be practiced by all responding policemen." —KG, GMA News
At the intersection of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong, singers and musicians sang popular songs, and the crowd joined in.
When the song "Kapayapaan" was sung, many shouted calls for peace, with some unfurling Philippine flags.
READ: PHOTO GALLERY: Inside the Iglesia ni Cristo rally at EDSA
The Iglesia ni Cristo members gathered at the EDSA-Shaw intersection to continue their protest against what they called Justice Secretary Leila de Lima's meddling in internal church affairs.
The Department of Justice is looking into charges filed by former Iglesia ni Cristo minister Isaias Samson Jr. against the religious group's officials for allegedly detaining and harassing him and his family — an accusation denied by the church's officials.
The members of the influential church first staged their vigil and protest in front of the DOJ building on Padre Faura Street in Manila on Thursday.
They moved to EDSA on Friday afternoon, and reports said church members intend to stay along the busy thoroughfare, site of historic protests against the government, until Monday.
On Friday night, while the impromptu concert was ongoing, however, some members of the church could be seen sleeping on cartons, plastic items, even on the road island—any place where they could grab a few winks.
Ambulances could be seen in the area, ready to respond to any emergency.
The Eastern Police District estimated the crowd on Shaw Boulevard to be at about 2,500 at around 2 a.m.
A statement from the church said that Iglesia ni Cristo is merely defending religious freedom.
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said that while the government recognizes the Iglesia ni Cristo's right to protest, he said that this cannot trample on the rights of others.
He added "preserving peace and order with maximum tolerance will be practiced by all responding policemen." —KG, GMA News
Tags: iglesianicristo
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