MANILA, Philippines – Though physically absent, defenders of press freedom made their voices heard by showing support online for the Black Friday for Press Freedom mass action in Quezon City on Friday, January 19.
The solidarity gathering led by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) brought together hundreds of journalists, bloggers, advocates, and members of the academe at the Boy Scout Circle intersection in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, on Friday evening.
That evening, the hashtag #BlackFridayForPressFreedom became a trending topic in the Philippines, reaching 3,114,972 accounts.
The gathering came after the decision of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to revoke Rappler's license for allegedly violating the Constitution.
In tweets, netizens expressed their support for press freedom, saying that the administration's moves to stifle free speech will only produce more courageous journalists.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you, Duterte. Your attempts to suppress press freedom will undoubtably give birth to more Maria Ressas, more Pia Ranadas - more Filipinos holding the line, more Filipinos speaking truth to power. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DefendPressFreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DefendPressFreedom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HoldTheLine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HoldTheLine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackFridayForPressFreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackFridayForPressFreedom</a></p>— Bakla With A Cause (@jonasbagas) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonasbagas/status/954320617976688641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Protests at Timog and Katipunan erupted today as a sign of protest against the attacks of the government on press freedom. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DefendPressFreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DefendPressFreedom</a> <a href="https://t.co/abPdGmuueM">pic.twitter.com/abPdGmuueM</a></p>— Ice Punzalan #JunkTRAIN (@icepnzln) <a href="https://twitter.com/icepnzln/status/954303383120183297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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While some netizens mocked the number of participants in the protest, other Twitter users called them out, and said social movements are inspired by the minority:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Those people calling the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackFridayForPressFreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackFridayForPressFreedom</a> protesters as “irrelevant bloggers” are missing the point of world history. Movements are precipitated by small people. Do not underestimate the power of the weak.</p>— Fronteros (@fronteros) <a href="https://twitter.com/fronteros/status/954486877125410816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The more authoritarian Duterte's regime gets, the stronger the resistance becomes.<br>Solidarity with <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rapplerdotcom</a> and all the other critical voices holding power to account. Tuloy ang laban - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HaranginAngDiktadura?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HaranginAngDiktadura</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DefendPressFreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DefendPressFreedom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackFridayForPressFreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackFridayForPressFreedom</a> <a href="https://t.co/eKGZgcTw0t">https://t.co/eKGZgcTw0t</a></p>— Josh Makalintal (@joshmaks) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshmaks/status/954349608494403585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, others who weren't at the gathering expressed their support online and reminded the public that the press will always hold government officials accountable.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackFridayForPressFreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackFridayForPressFreedom</a> There in spirit supporting <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rapplerdotcom</a> and freedom of the press. Keep <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/leadership?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#leadership</a> and government officials <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/accountable?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#accountable</a>. They serve the people; their salaries are paid for by the people. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DefendPressFreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DefendPressFreedom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OustDuterte?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OustDuterte</a></p>— J Darwin (@CognitiveHeart) <a href="https://twitter.com/CognitiveHeart/status/954540908535472129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2018</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Messaged my former prof to thank him for standing up against the atrocities of our godforsaken government. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackFridayForPressFreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackFridayForPressFreedom</a></p>— (@anneplaza) <a href="https://twitter.com/anneplaza/status/954390723037556738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Was not able to attend <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackFridayForPressFreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackFridayForPressFreedom</a> but my heart is with the journalists who fight for truth and free speech! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SupportRappler?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SupportRappler</a></p>— star ϟ (@st4rlene) <a href="https://twitter.com/st4rlene/status/954326753098399744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Take a look at other #BlackFridayForPressFreedom tweets below.
{source}<a class="twitter-timeline" data-partner="tweetdeck" href="https://twitter.com/MovePH/timelines/954529821907808257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackFridayPressFreedom - Curated tweets by MovePH</a> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
– Rappler.com