Thursday in Washington DC: Activists to Protest Philippines State-Sanctioned Murder of More than 3,000 People Who Use Drugs

Washington, DC – On Thursday October 13, activists will protest the mass murder and detention of people suspected of using or selling drugs at the Philippines embassy in Washington D.C. Since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in May, more than 3,000 people have been murdered and 700,000 admitted drug users are under threat to confinement in concentration camp-like conditions. President Duterte is directly responsible, calling on Filipinos to “feel free to call us, the police, or do it yourself if you have the gun," and pledging to protect the killers from prosecution. Recently, Duterte compared himself to Hitler and stated his goal was to kill millions of drug users.

"Duterte must stop this senseless massacre immediately," said Michael Colins, Deputy Director at Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs. "The U.S. must also suspend aid to the Philippines, especially any financial support that is used to train the very same police forces that are implicated in these killings."

Following similar actions last month, on October 11 activists from by VOCAL New York, Health GAP, Drug Policy Alliance, Harm Reduction Coalition, the Student Global AIDS Campaign, ACT UP New York, and other groups protested yesterday at the Philippines consulate as part of a global week of action called by the Asian Network of People Who Use Drugs (ANPUD).

Activists demand an immediate end to the Philippines drug war and suspension of U.S. bilateral law enforcement aid.

"President Obama and Secretary Kerry must strongly condemn the killings and immediately withdraw the pledged $32 million for law enforcement in the Philippines until President Duterte acts to end the bloody human rights abuses,” said Hilary McQuie of Heath GAP. “It is early in this extremely deadly version of the “war on drugs” to know what effect it will have on HIV prevalence, but we are deeply concerned about both immediate and long term consequences to health and human rights, and we know that ending war on drugs tactics is essential to ending AIDS."

Washington DC Philippines Drug War Protest

TIME: Thursday 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST

LOCATION: Embassy of the Philippines, 1600 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC

RALLY POINT: Convene first at NE corner of 17th and Mass NW