MANILA, Philippines – An artist group took its protest to the very walls of the national police headquarters in Camp Crame on the eve of the EDSA People Power Revolution on Tuesday, February 24.
In a Facebook post, the Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) showed photos of a wanted poster describing President Rodrigo Duterte as a "terrorist" and a "traitor."
The poster, however, was not a physical one which cops could remove. It was a light projection.
"This is part of a collective campaign of artists and cultural workers called ARTISTS FIGHT BACK, which aims to expose the government’s accountability for the successive attacks to our freedom of expression and public participation, civil and human rights, socio-economic and environmental rights, and democracy," CAP said in the Facebook post documenting their protest.
During the Martial Law period, art and literature deemed critical of the government were banned by the ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos. (READ: Martial Law, the dark chapter in Philippine history)
The Philippine National Police (PNP) slammed the artist group in a statement, saying that the artists defaced a historical site—Camp Crame itself.
"Much as we respect the freedom of the vandals to express their sentiments, we believe this freedom has limits and must not step beyond national interest," the PNP said in their statement.
Camp Crame, however, is historical for being a major protest site for demonstrations against authoritarianism and state violence. It is also etched in the country's history as a major detention camp during the Marcos regime. – Rappler.com
