Different HipHop figures and groups banded together to condemn the police and state forces for violently dispersing the protest and clash in Mendiola on September 21. Some of their fellow artists were arrested by the police and are now part of what is dubbed as the Mendiola 277.
Several HipHop groups and artists joined the massive September 21 anti-corruption demonstration, with the hundreds of thousands who gathered at Luneta Park in Manila and later marched toward Mendiola.
“Now that our country faces a crisis from years of corruption and successive administrations’ neglect of the people, our stand and resistance as HipHop artists is just,” the groups and artists declared.
According to them, HipHop is a political movement, and embedded in its cultural history is resistance to brutality and oppression, racism, and police and state against violence against the people. “HipHop became a weapon of the oppressed to amplify their calls through music and visual art, especially through rap music and graffiti,” they said.
With this, they strongly condemned “the police for excessive and brutal use of violence [and arrests] against protesters.” They also denounced the Marcos regime personnel and the Manila local government for baselessly accusing HipHop artists of “instigating” the clash.
“They blindly shift the blame to the people, while the peaceful protest turned into violence clearly because of the people’s years of suffering from government corruption and neglect,” they said.
The groups and artists explained that the protesters included ordinary vendors victimized by the violent clearing operations in Manila, families of those killed under Oplan Tokhang, and others abused by the state.
“They are the people who lost their livelihood, homes, and loved ones because of floods and disasters that would not have happened if the government prioritized the people’s welfare and allocated the nation’s funds properly to social services instead of being pocketed by a few,” the groups and artists said.
As part of their commitment to stand firm and remain united, the HipHop groups and artists announced their union to form the broad alliance HipHop United Against Corruption. Serving as convenors of the alliance are Junkie Rebels Crew, Tanghalang Bayan ng Kulturang Kalye-Tabakk, Banghayan, Kuwagagohan Battle League, Motus Battle League, PULO Rap Battle League, FlipTop Battle League, Ingay Likha, FRBL, Raplines Battle League, Rapugutan Rap Battlegrounds, Apoc Plazma The Demented, Tulala, V I T R U M, FEIFEI, Broki Serina, TRNGL, Facefirst, Run Deliks, Daluyong Artist Network, and Uprising.
They urged fellow artists and groups to engage with and join the alliance, which has already planned gatherings and activities in the coming weeks to condemn the violence in Mendiola and fight corruption.
