EDITORIAL - Lessons in crowd control

The lumads left their homes and took the long route to Manila many days ago. They made many stops, lingering at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, so authorities had a clear idea of the crowd size, their grievances and their ideological leanings. The Philippine National Police has a long history of dealing with such mass movements, and should know by now which are the favorite protest sites. Such protest actions should pose no surprises to the PNP.

So it’s surprising that the PNP crowd control team looked completely taken by surprise when the lumads staged a protest last Wednesday in front of one of the favorite destinations of every left-leaning group: the US embassy on Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

Regardless of the state of bilateral relations, international law binds host countries to protect foreign embassies, where foreign governments enjoy sovereign rights. This is an arrangement that is also accorded to all Philippine diplomatic missions around the world. Only weak or failed states fail in this mission. That the protesters managed to vandalize the embassy walls last Wednesday indicated a failure on the part of the PNP.

But worse than the failure to keep away the protesters was how the police responded to provocation by the protesters. Left-leaning protests normally provoke violence, which is seen to guarantee media coverage. This known propensity for provocation made authorities come up with a policy of maximum tolerance, with crowd control units given the equipment to protect themselves while minimizing violent clashes. Shields, helmets and batons are augmented by fire trucks, with water cannons and, at worst, tear gas used to disperse an unruly gathering.

Water cannons and tear gas were not used last Wednesday. Video footage showed the protesters turning unusually violent and attacking the police with their fists, red paint, rocks and wooden clubs. The driver of one police vehicle that was particularly targeted was then seen ramming the protesters, hitting and nearly running over one woman. A group of cops dragged out a driver from a jeepney used by the protesters and began beating him, stopping only when he lost consciousness and blood spurted from his head.

The police driver has been sacked and faces criminal and administrative charges. Other cops have been suspended over the violence. The incident should prompt a reassessment of PNP crowd control procedures. After decades of mass protests staged all over the country, the PNP should now have expertise in crowd control. Instead its capability seems to have deteriorated.