Police, workers’ groups coordinate Labor Day rallies
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and the city’s police officials held a dialogue with labor group leaders at city hall on Monday to coordinate their activities for the maintenance of peace and order during the Labor Day rallies near Malacañang today.
The new labor group alliance, Nagkaisa, which is expected to draw 20,000 of its members to the event, will assemble at 7 a.m. at Welcome Rotonda at the boundary of Quezon City and Manila.
They will march to Mendiola Street at 9 a.m. for a dialogue in Malacañang at 10 a.m., and will finish their program at the Mendiola Peace Arch at 11 a.m.
They will then hold a motorcade to the Philippine Airlines in-flight center in Pasay City where they will conduct their afternoon protests.
The Kilusang Mayo Uno, with 30,000 members, will hold their activities in the afternoon. They will converge at 11 a.m. on Blumentritt, Avenida, España, Quirino Avenue, Recto and Plaza Moriones, then march to Plaza Miranda at 12:30 p.m., where they will stop by a marker dedicated to the late labor leader, Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran.
The group will then march to Mendiola where they will hold a program from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
More than 500 Manila policemen will be deployed to secure the area and the march routes, augmented by personnel from other police districts.
The Manila Police District Traffic Enforcement Unit also drafted a traffic rerouting scheme for the event today (Tuesday).
All vehicles coming from Legarda-Ramon Magsaysay Blvd. going to CM Recto are advised to turn right at Earnshaw, then left at AH Lacson to get to their destinations.
Vehicles coming from Divisoria and Recto are advised to turn left at Nicanor Reyes and head to España.
Motorists coming from Ayala Bridge going to CM Recto shall turn left at Carlos Palanca.
In worst case scenarios, roads will be closed at CM Recto corner Mendiola.
Lim, however, said there was little chance for violent incidents to occur since the labor groups have been given permits for their protest actions.
