VISUALS: INC wishing Metro Manila, a happy long weekend

Got a tip? Send it to us at manila@coconuts.co.

UPDATE (3pm, Aug 29): A little before it started to rain, INC leaders started distributing placards to protesters, who quickly scrambled for one. The crowd was indeed thickening, and it did started raining, but “nothing that the MRT infrastructure cannot handle,” reports Cecilia Forbes, who’s been covering the protest for Coconuts Manila.

“There are performers here, too, who’ve started to cover songs by Kitchie Nadal and Up Dharma Down to keep the spirit of the rallyists up. They’re encouraging people to sing along with them,” she notes. Our correspondent predicts it’s going to get worse later in the day. We’ll keep you posted. In the mean time, scroll down to see more photos.

==
 
Mandaluyong resident and photo hobbyist Cecilia Forbes had an insomnia attack the whole of Friday night. Knowing there was an INC protest rally a stone’s throw away from her house, she gave up on sleep and at about 6am, took a walk down to the EDSA-Shaw intersection to see for herself what’s going on.

RELATED: Iglesia ni Cristo protesters spend the night on EDSA

“At about 6:30am Saturday, there wasn’t a lot of people. Maybe because it was already in the morning? I don’t know, but it wasn’t a mob, like I expected,” she tells Coconuts Manila over the phone.

The roads were still blocked, which she thought strange because there wasn’t a lot of people and it wasn’t chaotic. “The people who were still there were just sitting down and watching a screen. It was a broadcast from their network, I think,” she continues.

Below are some of her pictures from Saturday morning that she shared with Coconuts Manila. She told us she is now home but will go back to the site.

INC had just been issued a permit by the Mandaluyong City Government. They are allowed to rally until Sun, Aug 30. Meanwhile, the Manila City Government has also granted the religious bloc a permit, allowing them to rally until…Sep 4. Goodness.

We will continue updating this story with Forbes’ photos. In the mean time, follow us on Viber and Instagram for quick updates.
 

Photos from 5pm, Sat, Aug 29:

Photos from 3pm, Sat, Aug 29:

Photos from 6:30am on Sat, Aug 29:

WATCH: Dear INC, a day at the Iglesia street protest