15-19 January 2015
No meals for 28 hours in support of political prisoners
Tweet and post photos of yourself with a sign bearing this logo or the words #DearPopeFrancis I am on #SolidarityFast with #PoliticalPrisoners #HungerStrike in PH #FreePoliticalPrisonersPH
Calling all BAYAN-USA Members and Friends:
From the 15th to 19th of January this year, all 491 political prisoners in the Philippines will conduct a hunger strike to call attention to their unjust imprisonment and the unabated state-sponsored repression of activists under the watch of President B.S. Aquino, who denies the existence of political prisoners.
Demanding fair wages for workers…food and shelter for victims of typhoons…land for farmers and indigenous people… and peace and sovereignty instead of militarization is NOT a crime — yet Aquino’s government regularly imprisons women, workers, youth, faith leaders, journalists, and doctors for standing up for their rights.
The hunger strike coincides with the visit of “the Pope of the Poor” — Pope Francis — to “the country of the poor” — the Philippines. While the B.S. Aquino government will try to keep the political prisoners locked in their cells hidden from the Pope’s view, the political prisoners have called for international support of their strike to make sure that a spotlight shines brightly on their plight and the plight of the poor for whom they fight.
BAYAN-USA calls on all its members and allies to support the 491 political prisoners by conducting Solidarity Hunger Fasts from Jan. 15-19, 2015. Tweet and post photos of yourself with a sign bearing this logo or the words “ #DearPopeFrancis I am on #SolidarityFast with #PoliticalPrisoners #HungerStrike in PH #FreePoliticalPrisonersPH”
To also show solidarity with the mobilizations for Black Self-Determination and BlackLivesMatter during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend which will also be happening on those dates, BAYAN-USA asks that members and friends participating in the fast aim to fast for either 4 hours (in recognition of the 4 hours Mike Brown’s body lay in the street after he was murdered) or 28 hours (in recognition of one black person being killed every 28 hours by police, security personnel or vigilante). A solidarity fast means skipping meals and/or snacks for the period that you’re fasting.
More information and call to action from the political prisoners, below. For more information, contact [email protected].
