Wednesday, December 06, 2006 Editorials: Coping with summit protesters
POLICE region chief Silverio Alarcio Jr. has repeatedly said protests will be allowed but only at designated places, not along ceremonial route, not near Asean summit venues, and not by foreigners.
Activist groups say they will stage protests where they will be seen and heard. As usual, they won't be bothered by restrictions in the mayor's permit.
Police and military won't allow the summit to be disrupted by rallies. But to the law enforcers this summit, even potential disruption is unacceptable.
Law enforcers, wise to the ways of activists, know the length to which protesters will go to be noticed by the public.
Playing to gallery
Protesters play to the gallery, the public. The public is not there, of course, but the press, the public's surrogate, is.
The press is witting tool. Journalists know they are being used by protesters and yet play along. Activists wait for photographers and camera crew to show up before they start behaving violently.
This is often asked by non-journalists: Who start riots on the streets---protesters or news people? Do media record the event or does the event occur because media record it?
Manipulating the press
Protesters know how to manipulate the press.
What brings intense press coverage? The interesting or bizarre: for which they use all sorts of costumes and props, including tots, to send their message. The violent: for which they taunt police to unleash force against them. What are a few broken arms or heads if they land in the six o'clock news?
Government and militant groups have contrasting aims and policies about protest actions. Each side knows what the other is up to. There are rules but each side knows the rules quickly blur on the streets.
Spoiling the summit
Government sees the need to prevent protesters from spoiling the Asean summit, which includes endangering security of delegates and preventing them from doing what they came for in Cebu.
How much news coverage they get is protesters' measure of success. Protecting the conferees and yet keeping its own citizens from harm is government's concern.
Police and military need truncheons and sticks but coping with protesters needs more than that to do a tough balancing job: keeping peace and order without suppressing right to free speech and assembly.
Tougher even, since protesters use the constitutional shield for not purely innocent purposes.
