arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Activists of the Philippine Solidarity Groups – Belgium (FGB) put up a picketline under a bridge just in front of the Dutch embassy in Brussels today. They set up four tents, spread out cardboard on the cold pavement and rolled out their sleeping bags. This was their way to sympathize with Jose Maria Sison, who risks to become homeless as a result of repressive measures taken by the Dutch authorities – on the demand of the US – who have labelled him a "terrorist".
"If they really consider Sison a terrorist and not a legitimate political refugee, they might as well bury the concept of ‘political refugee' altogether", commented Toon Mondelaers, a veteran activist of the Christians for Socialism. "The US is systematically criminalizing all genuine national liberation movements", he added.
"Stop the criminalization of the Philippine people's movement" was the slogan on one of the four streamers the FGB brought along. The three other streamers read: "Respect the democratic rights of all political refugees, including those of Prof. Sison", "Support the peace negotiations" and "Liberation struggle is no terrorism". Two of them were attached onto the gate of the Dutch embassy (the embassy personnel was not amused). The two others were posted in front of the embassy, where the tents also stood. The FGB activists distributed leaflets to passers-by, asking for "1 euro for Sison", for his subsistence and his legal defense.
Filipino migrants brought the picketeers hot noodle soup. Among the some 25 demonstrators were people from the Oxfam Fair Trade Shops, the Philippine Group of the Christian Labor Movement, the Christians for Socialism and the Workers' Party of Belgium. As of this writing, Pascal, Britt, Kristof, Els, Koen, Günther and Ilse are still at the picketline, intending to spend the night there, until 8:00 am Thursday morning. The protest action was authorized by the Brussels police. The demonstrators invited them to enjoy with them the noodle soup and the Philippine music.