Two Significant Protest Events That Happened on May 20 in the Philippines

Here are some notable events related to May 20 in Philippine history:

May 20, 1967

On May 20, 1967, more than 500 members of the Lapiang Malaya (Freedom Fighters) movement gathered at their headquarters along Taft Avenue in Pasay City, supposedly to participate in a parade. However, the group ended up staging a rally to protest rising prices of basic commodities and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus by President Ferdinand Marcos.

This protest is considered one of the earliest mass demonstrations against the Marcos regime and a precursor to the First Quarter Storm protests of 1970. The Lapiang Malaya was a multi-sectoral group that included students, workers, farmers, and professionals united in opposing the Marcos dictatorship.

May 20, 1980

On May 20, 1980, the urban guerrilla group Light-a-Fire Movement (Kilusan Pagpapalaya) staged a daring raid on the Batasang Pambansa (Parliament) complex in Quezon City to draw attention to their calls for the overthrow of the Marcos dictatorship. The group planted explosives and exchanged gunfire with security forces before withdrawing. No one was killed or injured in the incident.

This daring raid highlighted the growing resistance against Marcos’ authoritarian rule and human rights abuses during martial law. The Light-a-Fire Movement was one of several armed revolutionary groups that emerged to challenge the Marcos regime through urban guerrilla tactics.

So in summary, May 20 marks two significant protest events against the Marcos dictatorship – the 1967 Lapiang Malaya rally that foreshadowed larger protests, and the 1980 Light-a-Fire Movement raid on the Batasang Pambansa complex during martial law.