Black Nazarene procession called off due to crowd control woes

(PHOTO FROM MANILA POLICE DISTRICT)

MANILA, Philippines—The procession of the Black Nazarene has been cancelled on Good Friday due to crowd control problems the Manila Police District (MPD) reported.

MPD Director Leo Francisco said the procession began at exactly 12 a.m., but it only reached Villalobos and Palanca Streets before it was cancelled after around 44,000 devotees gathered in the vicinity of the church.

“However, upon reaching the Villalobos and Carlos Palanca Street, Quiapo, Manila, an uncontrolled crowd blocked the road/path of the truck that carries the image of the black Nazarene, forcing the ground commander and the church leaders to implement the contingency plan that was agreed in the last coordinating meeting, which is to promptly head back the image to the Church to ensure that chances for the transmission of the COVID-19 among the devotees will be none,” Francisco said in a statement.

The MPD has deployed more than 1,400 police officers in the vicinity of Quiapo church and on the whole stretch of the procession route. 

The traditional Good Friday procession of the Black Nazarene had been cancelled for two consecutive years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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