Police on Saturday, May 1, blocked workers’ groups and activists from holding Labor Day rallies in Manila and other parts of the country.

At around 7 am on Saturday, May 1, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said that the police blocked their supposed venue for demonstration at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila.

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“The police commander told the protest organizers that protesting is banned under MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine),” KMU said in a tweet.

“Labor Day should honor workers but the PNP is insulting us by depriving us of our right to air out grievances. Liwasang Bonifacio is a freedom park and the police should back off. The protests will push through despite this harassment,” said KMU chairperson Elmer Labog.

With the police blocking Liwasang Bonifacio, protesters from various labor groups with KMU have to fit in a much smaller space – while practicing physical distancing – at Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City.

The police also tried to stop labor coalition Pagkakaisa ng Uring Manggagawa (PAGGAWA) along Lacson Avenue in Manila at around 8 am, as they marched towards Mendiola in Manila, and were threatened with arrest.

“Parang may relasyon sa pulitika. Ayaw magkaroon ng rally sa Mendiola. ‘Di dahil sa health protocols. Eh bakit kami pinayagan sa Welcome Rotonda? Parang pulitikal – para huwag kundenahin ang gobyerno sa harap ng Malacañang,” Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) chairperson Leody de Guzman told Rappler.

(It seems like it’s related to politics. They don’t want a rally in Mendiola. It’s not about health protocols. It is about politics – so that we don’t condemn the government in front of Malacañang.)

In Cebu, police arrested dozens of protesters who were on the way to a labor rally. (READ: Police arrest 34 headed to Labor Day protest in Cebu City)

Around noontime, KMU said that a workers’ caravan in Cabuyao, Laguna, was blocked by the Calamba City police.

The 1987 Constitution protects the right to assembly.

In a statement, PNP chief General Debold Sinas said that while the police “supports” peaceful activities, it will establish its presence at rally sites and will “exercise maximum tolerance.”

“We would like to discourage them from pursuing these plans [and] instead conduct an online protest in lieu of physical rallies in the streets on Labor Day due to the existing threat of COVID-19 pandemic,” said Sinas.

In a news brief, the Philippine National Police called its act of blocking protesters as “heeding calls to voluntarily disperse and terminate activities.”

“We would like to thank those militant and labor groups who heeded our call to abandon their earlier plans to stage public assemblies. Our objective is to keep everyone safe,” said Sinas.

Rappler reached out to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III for comment, but he has yet to respond as of posting. – with a report from Jairo Bolledo/Rappler.com