| Diliman Commune | |||
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| Date | February 1–9, 1971 | ||
| Location | Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 14°39′17.50″N 121°3′52.09″E / 14.6548611°N 121.0644694°E | ||
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| Methods | Protests, demonstrations, occupation | ||
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The Diliman Commune was an nine-day uprising led by the students, faculty members, and residents of the University of the Philippines Diliman,[1][2][3] on February 1–9, 1971 — about a year after the events of the First Quarter Storm and about a year before Marcos' eventual declaration of Martial Law.[4][5] It began as a planned protest through which the UP community and transport workers would denounce a three centavo increase in oil prices under the administration of Marcos. However, this changed when violence marred the proceedings on the first day of the protest, resulting in the wounding and eventual death of Chemistry student Pastor "Sonny" Mesina, after which the Philippine Constabulary Metropolitan Command attempted to storm the campus and suppress the protest. After this, the demands of the protests shifted from focusing on stopping oil price increase and instead became more about the end of the use of military force in the campus.[1]
The occupation ended on February 9 when students took down the barricades voluntarily, believing that the administration had conceded to eight demands which included a rollback of gasoline prices, a promise of justice for Sonny Mesina, and a guarantee that the military or police would not enter the campus in the future.[1]
The name was a reference to an intentional community established by the protesters patterned after the Paris Commune of 1871. Like the supporters of Paris Commune, the protesters referred to themselves as Communards. They renamed the University of the Philippines Diliman campus to "Malayang Komunidad ng UP Diliman" ("Free Commune of UP Diliman"). They also took control of the DZUP radio station and the UP Press, and ran their own publication called the Bandilang Pula ("Red Flag").[6]