MANILA, Philippines – They came to protest, to document history, and…. have their pictures taken.

The rise of digital cameras (including camera phones) has changed the meaning of a photograph from a mere document or proof of experience to a symbol of community.

During the Monday, August 26 protests against the abolition of the pork barrel, I noticed that almost everyone was taking pictures of whatever interested them. The August 26 mobilization may not have achieved the targetted number of warm bodies —one million — but social media must have produced more than a million photographs from the protests here and abroad.

As of 5pm Monday, at least 19,666 pictures from the #MillionPeopleMarch and related protests were shared and uploaded on Twitter. The figures doesn’t include those from other social media photo sharing websites such as Facebook, Flickr, and Google+. However, if you uploaded on Instagram and Tweeted it, it’s included in the count.

I’d like to think, however, that for those who marched, the campaign to abolish the pork barrel should be lasting — just like pictures —and not just a one-day picnic at the Luneta. – Rappler.com