MANILA – Several protesters against the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit were amused, while some were enraged when the Philippine National Police (PNP) played pop songs in an attempt to disperse them.
As the 21 APEC leaders held their meetings at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), outside were hundreds of activists who joined the ongoing mass actions against the annual gathering.
Trying to reach the venue of the meetings, the protesters tried to break through lines of police, who were equipped with riot shields and wooden batons.
When the rallies started to get violent, the policemen fired water cannons – and played a ‘demonstration playlist’ on loudspeakers at full volume.
Included in the playlist were pop singer Katy Perry’s hit single “Roar,” David Guetta’s “Sexy Bitch,” Dolly Parton’s “Islands in the Stream,” and the Bee Gee’s “How Deep is Your Love,” along with other songs aimed at distracting the activists who tried to chant “Junk APEC” at the top of their lungs.
Feeling the beat, some of the anti-riot policemen tapped their batons against their shields to the tune of the songs.
The protesters, however, were not in the mood to sing along. They regarded the actions as ‘rude and desperate’ and was suppression to ‘the people’s right to… free speech.’
Some, on the other hand, retreated to the music and were deniably amused.
“Filipinos in general love music and it has a calming effect for everyone. This goes well with our maximum tolerance policy during protests,” Metro Manila police spokeswoman chief inspector Kimberly Gonzales said in an AFP report.