FALSE: Groups will hold Labor Day protests on the streets, despite quarantine rules

Claim: Various groups will conduct Labor Day protests on the streets despite the enhanced community quarantine.

Some Facebook users and pages reposted text saying groups will continue their Labor Day protests despite the coronavirus crisis.

“Puwede po bang ipagpapaliban na lang muna ang kilos protesta na ‘yan? Tapusin muna natin ang COVID-19 pandemic. Maliwanag po ang STAY AT HOME.”

(Can you put off those protests? Let’s get through the COVID-19 pandemic first. The “stay at home” directive is clear.)

These posts attached a graphic with the text “COVID-19 Tulog Muna (sleep first) Task Force, Asleep in midst (sic) of calamity,” The graphic named the groups Bayan Muna, League of Filipino Students, Kabataan Party-list, Gabriela Women’s Party, Anakpawis Party-list, and Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Philippines.

The text also cites a TV Patrol report as its reference.

A reader sent the claim to Rappler for verification.

Rating: FALSE

The facts: The Labor Day protests will be held online or at home through selfies, online programs, and/or noise barrages.

The posts link to the following report by ABS-CBN News, which is entitled, “Labor day protests, tuloy sa social media dahil sa COVID-19 (Labor day protests will be continued on social media due to COVID-19).”

The report says Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and other labor groups will relay their demands to the government through social media. Workers will also wear red face masks to support the fight against COVID-19. Meanwhile, others will conduct noise barrages in their own homes while practicing physical distancing.

According to a Facebook post by KMU, it will be the first time in history that Labor Day protests will be conducted online.

Groups that include KMU, Nagkaisa, Federation of Free Workers, Sentro, Wyeth Workers’ Union, Partido Manggagawa, and BPO Industry Employees Network will make demands concerning relief and medical support for all workers, among others.

The online protests will have various forms. For one, Partido Manggagawa and Nagkaisa has called on participants to take a selfie while holding their placards and to post them on their social media accounts. Other groups will have an online program.

Meanwhile, the groups mentioned in the posts’ graphic did not post anything about conducting street protests.

In the past, Rappler also debunked a claim that leftist groups Anakbayan and KMU held a rally during the enhanced community quarantine. – Loreben Tuquero/Rappler.com

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