Seventeen masked protesters—some as young as 11—were arrested Sunday, Sept. 21, following violent clashes with Manila Police District (MPD) officers near Ayala Bridge and Mendiola which left over 30 cops and a radio reporter injured.
The group, wearing black masks and balaclavas, had earlier joined an anti-corruption rally at Luneta Park before marching toward Malacañang.
Authorities said the protesters attempted to breach a barricade made of steel containers and a trailer frame near the Palace.
Upon encountering the blockade, they hurled rocks, glass bottles, metal fences, plant boxes, and other debris at riot police armed with shields.
The skirmish escalated as protesters kicked and struck officers with wooden planks and set fire one of the container vans ablaze.
Amid the chaos, DzBB reporter Manny Vargas was hit in the face by a rock during a foot chase between police and masked youths.
One protester admitted that he and several companions were minors.
Minutes after the Ayala Bridge clash, another group of demonstrators confronted police near the Mendiola Peace Arch, again attempting to breach the barricade.
They threw rocks, plastic bottles, metal fencing—and even a firecracker—at officers, prompting police to deploy water cannons and a long-range acoustic device to disperse the crowd.
Despite these measures, protesters intensified their provocation, waving Philippine flags and banners bearing the symbol of the “Straw Hat Pirates” from the anime One Piece—a motif that has emerged globally as a symbol of anti-corruption resistance, notably in Nepal and Indonesia. (Patrick Garcia)
