Manhattan protest against Balikatan joint military exercises in South China Sea

New York, NY – Dozens gathered, Monday, April 21, in Manhattan’s Foley Square to protest the 40th and largest-ever Balikatan, or “shoulder-to-shoulder,” joint military exercises between U.S. and Philippine troops. Speakers from GABRIELA, Anakbayan Manhattan, Bayan USA, NYCHRP, DSA, UAW, and TWU Local 100 demanded an end to the United States’ military presence in the Philippines.

The drills represent another escalation of tension between the United States and China. President Fernando Marcos Jr. has become increasingly aligned with Washington and now the Trump administration. As tariffs and trade disputes continue to create hardship, the United States uses its proxies in countries such as the Philippines to assert military power abroad. According to Al Jazeera, some drills took place outside of both the Philippine territorial limit and Manila’s exclusive economic zone, a direct provocation against the People’s Republic of China.

Despite economic upheaval in both the United States and the Philippines, President Fernando Marcos Jr. plans to purchase 20 fighter jets in a $USD 5.58 billion arms deal. A speaker from GABRIELA described many workers in the Philippines making $USD 5 or less per day. While people live and work in substandard conditions, the United States empowers the Marcos regime to spend money on war instead of its people.

A speaker from Anakbayan Manhattan also drew a connection to the plight of immigrant workers from the Philippines. Whether documented or undocumented, workers have faced increased violence from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Green card holder Lewelyn Dixon returned from a trip to the Philippines in February only to be detained by ICE. She remains imprisoned without justification.

Between speeches, organizers led anti-imperialist chants in English and Tagalog, such as “Demokrasya / Hindi diktatura” (“Democracy, not dictatorship!”) and “No U.S. war, no fascist bombs! The Filipino people are not your pawns!” GABRIELA presented a Mother’s Day Song and the rally ended with poet Jess Santiago’s Martsa ng Bayan (March of the People, 1981). Organizers encouraged attendees to continue protesting American imperialism and support mutual aid efforts for Filipino migrant workers.

The rally demonstrated the people’s rejection of warmongering and imperialism, as well as their continued solidarity with national liberation movements from Palestine to the Philippines.

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