Damayan Attends D.C. Inauguration Rallies #INAUGURATETHERESISTANCE
#HERETOSTAY
In the very early hours of January 20th, 2017, the Damayan Migrant Workers Association staff got on a bus to Washington, D.C. and joined the historic mass mobilization of resistance against the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America. Damayan joined many local and national advocacy groups in Answer Coalition’s “Inaugurate the Resistance” rally. Damayan also joined in the largest protest in U.S. History, the Women’s March in Washington, D.C.
The demonstration, which saw a turnout of thousands, was held on Pennsylvania Avenue at the Navy Memorial Plaza sidewalks and plaza right on the Inauguration Parade route. Members of the Damayan staff waited as long as 5 hours to get into the plaza after the Secret Service used the checkpoints to block anti-Trump demonstrators from getting into the Navy Memorial, with thousands of demonstrators not being allowed in.
The demonstration, in which anti-trump protestors massively outnumbered Trump supporters, included speeches from prominent activists from all over the U.S., including Erlinda Oalican, the Executive Director of Damayan. Linda told the crowd of thousands, her story of being a student activist under Marcos’ fascist regime. She stated that Marcos was not expected to be a fascist, but he became one. “Fascism,” Linda told the crowd, “is a cover for when the old administration or government cannot govern anymore in the old way.” Linda stated that Marcos turned to fascism to quell the rising mass movement at the time. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people left the Philippines in search of work, with many women becoming low-wage workers abroad. Damayan formed to serve these people. With Trump being explicitly anti-worker, anti-immigrant, and anti-women, Linda stated that Damayan was at the rally to stand up and fight back for the millions of workers who have had to flee fascism in order to support their families. Linda proclaimed that Damayan would continue to organize and march in defense of the worker, immigrant, and women’s rights. When Trump’s motorcade reached the memorial, he was greeted with the crowd’s chant of,
“When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do?
Stand Up, Fight Back!
When workers’ rights are under attack, what do we do?
Stand Up, Fight Back!
When women’s rights are under attack, what do we do?
Stand Up, Fight Back!”
The following day, Damayan staff participated in the largest protest in U.S. History, the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. Damayan staff joined approximately over 1 million people in the D.C. march as well as over an estimated additional 4 million people in other cities and countries. The march was one day after Trump’s inauguration and brought out millions of people in support of women’s rights, LGBT rights, immigrant rights, civil rights and to oppose the hate that Trump promotes. As Damayan stood in solidarity with millions of others, the message to Trump was and remains clear: we are here to fight and we are here to stay.
Full Transcript of Executive Director Linda Oalican’s Inaugurate the Resistance Speech:
1/20/2017
Washington, D.C.
I want to share with you about my experience in the Philippines. In 1972, Marcos of the Philippines declared martial law. He arrested about 70,000 Filipino activists, political opponents, media people, and 3,500 people died during his regime. I was one of those who were arrested. When I was arrested, I was taken to a military camp in metro Manilla. I was put into isolation and I was then detained for a total of 6 months. I was tortured, my left eardrum was broken because of the torture.
In the Philippines, we did not know that Marcos would be a fascist, but he became one. He was a brilliant president, really smart and brilliant and I don’t know what we have here. You see, fascism is actually cover when the old administration or government cannot govern anymore in the old way. In the Philippines, it was a strategy to quell the rising mass movement at the time. It became effective for a short while and also, as a result, 10% of our people were forced to go out of the country to find work. Which is why Damayan, now, is doing the work that it does, because so many of our women, workers and mothers, are now here in the U.S. working as domestic workers and other low-wage workers to support their families. So why are we against Trump? We are against Trump because he is not going to do things any better for us. He is evidently anti-worker, anti-immigrant, and anti-women. Many of our members are already in deep trouble being victims of labor trafficking, wage-theft, and fraud, and what will Mr. Trump do? I don’t think he is going to make our lives better. That is why we are here. The government has to support Immigrant rights, and I know he is not going to that. That is why we will continue to organize and march with you, to defend workers’ rights and immigrant rights.
When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do?
Stand Up, fight Back!
When workers’ rights are under attack, what do we do?
Stand Up, fight Back!
When women’s rights are under attack, what do we do?
Stand Up, Fight Back!
Links:
Answer Coalition on Inaugural Protest:
Article on Damayan’s Community Organizer at Inaugural Protest: