The 50th anniversary commemoration of the historic Diliman Commune was aptly book-ended by a protest from the current crop of student activists.
Activists, along with students, faculty members and alumni of UP expressed their public outcry with a “Barikada,” a large-scale installation art mounted by contemporary multi-media artist Toym Imao.
Diliman Commune was a political movement in 1971 led by students, faculty members and transport groups who rallied against the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos who declared martial law the following year. The artwork symbolizes the history and social milieu of the nation during the 21-year dictatorship.
The series of demonstrations follow after the red-tagging of students and the government’s termination of the UP-DND accord that prohibits the entry of state forces in campus grounds.
