Fqs report back fundraiser

On friday January 27 2006,

Kabaatang Montreal held a fundraiser party hosted by Sigaw ng Bayan (CKUT 90.3 fridays @ 2pm) for the FQS Report Back from the Vancouver Youth Conference last November 2005.

The evening began with a short play by the KM cultural committee dramatizing various historical and cultural events that happened in filipino history including the present day situation. The night also featured various bands playing including the RnB reggae sounds of Da Funk Lab, the hard punk rock of Frozen flame and sweet sounding pop rock of 15th station, formely know as the SFC band. Each band bringing it's own unique brand of music proved most entertaining.

To brief on what the FQS is, it began on January 26, 1970, with youth and students protesting Marcos' State of the Nation address. This led to a series of rallies where militant students, workers and farmers staged demonstrations in the streets of Manila to protest oil price hikes, graft and corruption in government, and the worsening economic situation at that time. Invariably, these protest actions turned violent and bloody as law enforcers responded with tear gas and, in some instances, with bullets. Thus has came to be known among activists and political observers as the First Quarter Storm, or simply the FQS.

The Youth Conference in Vancouver was to celebrate and draw lessons from the FQS so that we can continue the struggle of the youth and the people.

-A.D.Santos