New York, NY – on the evening of Saturday, September 27, around 50 people gathered outside the Philippines Consulate in New York City to confront corrupt diplomats. Organized by BAYAN Northeast, the rally began at around 8 p.m. on a warm and balmy night.

Powerful chants could be heard throughout 5th Avenue, as BAYAN organizations talked about the corruption the people of the Philippines are currently facing. As each politician lines their pockets with money, the Filipino people suffer.

This action took part during the final hours of U.N. Week, which is when diplomats and government officials from around the world descend onto New York City to discuss international affairs. These meetings have real-world consequences, and the week is filled with militant action against some of the worst global figures we’ve seen on the world stage. This week boasted figures like President Trump and Netanyahu, both who were protested by different organizations.

The Philippine President Marcos Jr. was supposed to make an appearance. However, he cancelled and sent some of his cronies instead. Members of BAYAN did not want to miss their opportunity to confront members of the Marcos government. At around 9 p.m., a few diplomats entered through the consulate doors and were followed by jeers, boos and chants of “Do your job.”

A while later, another official left on his way home, and members of the rally followed him down the block. A megaphone was pushed into the diplomat’s face, shaming him for his role in the state of the Philippines. Each official that followed was greeted by a militant crowd yelling the down. They couldn’t escape the overwhelming chants from the energized protesters.

Adrian Bonafacio, the national leader of BAYAN USA, gave a powerful speech to close out the protest stating, “If this week has shown us anything, it is that the officials in this building, Marcos himself, live in a completely different world than the Filipino people. They live in their own delusions. Delusions built on the sweat, blood and tears of the forced family separation of Filipinos in the country and here abroad.”

#NewYorkNY #NY #International #Philippines #BAYAN

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