Policemen arrest protesters during a gay pride march near Malacanang palace in Manila on June 26, 2020. - The protest was held amid a ban on public gatherings as a general community quarantine is in effect to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The protesters, members of an LGBT group, raised concerns over the plight of the LGBTQ+ community amid the pandemic and also voiced opposition to a proposed law that they alleged gives the state greater powers to crush both terrorism as well as legitimate dissent. (Photo by - / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — A group of lawyers on Saturday condemned the arrest of some 20 protesters by the Manila Police District over an impromptu Pride March, saying the arrests were illegal and have no factual basis.
“These ludicrous charges are obviously and totally devoid of factual and legal basis and should be dismissed outright,” the National Union of People’s Lawyers said.
—Patricia Denise M. Chiu
