"Those who make peaceful revolution impossiblewill make violent revolution inevitable."
~ John F. Kennedy, Remarks on the first anniversary of the Alliance for Progress,
13 March 1962
13 March 1962
Mendiola Street in the City of Manila has been the site of many protests—some of them violent and bloody—against the government because of its proximity to Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the President of the Philippines. It is also within the informal district known as the University Belt, so named because of its high concentration of colleges and universities. In 2010, the schools around Mendiola Street, including Centro Escolar University in the background, pooled their resources to build the Mendiola Peace Arch. The consortium hopes that the arch will remind protestors that the area is also the home of many schools and will encourage them to conduct their rallies in a peaceful manner.
The JFK quote is so true!
ReplyDeleteThe demonstrations must be an educational distraction for the students. I went to college in downtown Washington D.C., 4 blocks from the White House during the Vietnam War. There were lots of demonstrations. I remember them more than I do what I learned in some of my classes.
ReplyDeletebelle porte avec la colombe de la paix
ReplyDeleteLove the arch. Hopefully, it will do as you suggest - encourage peaceful protests.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting idea - to remind the protestors that there are others who may be preparing to change the world in their own way.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great arch and a good reminder. I love that JFK quote too. (It's nice to see you back, it must have been a difficult time post-typhoon for the entire country.)
ReplyDeleteThat arch is a nice idea. I hope it works.
ReplyDeleteMuch nicer than those rolls of razor wire.