Protesters gather for SONA rally

Protesters gathered early Monday morning to prepare for their rally for the fifth State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Members of youth organizations and progressive groups assembled in the vicinity of Philcoa in Quezon City as early as 7:30 a.m. with their banners calling for mass testing, work, assistance, and junking of the Anti-Terror law.

SA KASALUKUYAN: Handang handa na ang mga kabataan para sa SONA ng Bayan--#SONAgkaisa na mga kabataan sa paglaban!

Sigaw ng kabataan: MASS TESTING, TRABAHO, AYUDA, AT HINDI TERROR LAW!!!

7:30 Assembly @ Ministop, Philcoa
10AM Program @ UP Diliman#WakaSONA2020#FightTyranny pic.twitter.com/UqciTJveHD

— Kabataan Partylist (@KabataanPL) July 27, 2020

Karapatan stands with thousands of freedom-loving Filipinos here today at the University Avenue and all over the country to ring our calls to resist tyranny and defend people's rights! Join the People's State of the Nation Address!

Tama na, sobra na, #SONAgKAISA na! pic.twitter.com/fIfBwpcRNt

— Karapatan (@karapatan) July 27, 2020

Teachers calling for safe, accessible, and quality education also joined the protest action.

ATM: Peasant and fishers group gather here at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). We will be marching in a while to joint the #SONAgKAISA protest at UP Diliman. pic.twitter.com/sVy7TRPZSj

— Pamalakaya Pilipinas (@pama_pil) July 27, 2020

Bayan Muna Representatives Eufemia Cullamat and Carlos Zarate, ACT Teachers Representative France Castro, and Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas led the march towards UP Diliman where the SONAgkaisa protest will be conducted.
 

LOOK: Members of the Makabayan Bloc all set to march to UP Diliman for the SONAgkaisa protest donning their SONA protest attire.

???? Makabayan Bloc | @erwincolcol pic.twitter.com/UNRI8JpcsO

— GMA News Breaking (@gmanewsbreaking) July 27, 2020

#SONAgKaisa ng Mamamayan @FerdinandGaite @kaloi_zarate pic.twitter.com/VgxMXbsoqy

— BAYAN MUNA Rep. Eufemia Cullamat (@EufemiaCullamat) July 27, 2020

In a Twitter post, GMA reporter Raffy Tima said protesters marching along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City were directed by police officers into University Avenue in UP Diliman.

Protesters marching along Commonwealth in Quezon City are directed by police officers into University Avenue in UP Diliman, implementing an earlier order banning protest actions on Commonwealth Avenue, reminds rallyists about physical distancing and talking with each other. pic.twitter.com/c5kjTeoY6p

— Raffy Tima (@raffytima) July 27, 2020

University Avenue was closed to traffic minutes before the start of the protest action, according to a tweet by Super Radyo dzBB reporter Glen Juego.

WATCH: Sarado na sa lahat ng motorista ang University Avenue ng UP Diliman ilang minuto bago magsimula ang mga programa ng iba't ibang grupo kaugnay sa SONA 2020. @dzbb pic.twitter.com/Y4MqPPTZzf

— Glen Juego (@glenjuego) July 27, 2020

According to a report of Allan Gatus on Dobol B sa News TV, some of the groups who joined the protest were Gabriela, Kabataan, Kilusang Mayo Uno, and Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino.

#SONA2020: Programa ng mga raliyista sa University of the Philippines–Diliman, nagsimula na. | via @allangatus pic.twitter.com/VFQXLJKOTr

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) July 27, 2020

Senator Risa Hontiveros delivered a speech during the program in UP Diliman.

Former lawmaker Neri Colmenares and human rights advocate Chel Diokno also took the stage and criticized the Duterte administration for its actions amid the pandemic.

Some youth leaders also delivered speeches calling the President a traitor and terrorist.

The program in UP campus was set to end at 12 noon, according to BAYAN’s Renato Reyes Jr. —With Joviland Rita/AOL/KG, GMA News