One of the earliest recorded protests in the Philippines was a massive rally staged by the first workers’ union in the country, the Union Obrera Democratica de Filipinas, which called for an eight-hour workday and the recognition of May 1 as a public holiday. Over 100,000 people attended, and members of the group were arrested and harassed even in the succeeding months.1
It is a fundamental right to be able to exercise our freedom to protest peacefully in safe spaces anywhere in the world. But this right is under attack, threatened by those in power – scared of the change people power can bring. So it is important for you to come prepared when joining protest demonstrations. Here are Amnesty’s Handy Protest Safety Packs which includes information on personal security, safety from tear gas, water cannon, how to deal with vicarious trauma and self care. Share to everyone you know, and stay safe while standing up for your freedom!
In Turkey, since May 1995, relatives of people who “disappeared” in police custody have been holding a weekly vigil in central Istanbul, demanding that the authorities account for the fate of their loved ones. They are known as the ‘Saturday Mothers’, since they gather every Saturday at midday in front of Galatasaray High School in Istiklal Street, holding pictures of their “disappeared” sons, daughters, husbands, wives, fathers, brothers.
In Iran, between 2017 and 2018, tens of thousands took to the streets to protest against poverty, corruption, repression and authoritarianism. Around 5,000 protesters were arbitrarily detained in a protest in January, and 25 were killed, and more than 100 were arrested in a protest in July/August and at least one person was killed.
In 2019, Chile saw mass protests to demand greater equality and human rights. The authorities responded with violent repression and criminalization, excessive use of force, and discriminatory and disproportionate use of pre-trial detention. A state of emergency was declared, and the army was deployed in the streets alongside the military police, the Carabineros.
Political activists Cecillia Chimbiri, Joanah Mamombe and Netsai Marova were arrested on 13 May 2020 at a police roadblock in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, for leading an anti-government protest over the authorities’ response to the Covid-19 pandemic and widespread hunger in the country.
Human rights lawyer and labour rights advocate Chow Hang-tung, currently imprisoned, was charged for “inciting subversion” under the National Security Law (NSL) in September 2021 and faces a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Together with other core members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (the Alliance), she was targeted simply for peacefully commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.
Throughout history, protest has been a powerful tool for change. But governments around the world are cracking down on protests and it must be protected. Add your voice to our global call to protect the protest and join our campaign today.
The right to protest is under unprecedented and growing threat across all regions of the world, Amnesty International said today, as the organization launched a new global campaign to confront states’ widening and intensifying efforts to erode this fundamental human right.