UP Lantern Parade

Last friday, the traditional Lantern Parade was cancelled by the UP Administration. According to Dean Brillantes (NCPAG) this was due to security issues. Nevertheless, each colleges were encouraged to proceed with their respective activities.

The news about the cancellation spread quickly but people were still at a lost. By 4pm, colleges like CFA (Fine Arts), CS (Science), NCPAG (Public Adminitration and Governance), SOLAIR (Labor and Industrial Relations) and CMC (Mass Communication) began their parade from their respective colleges. The CFA and CS arrived at the Academic Oval first starting the parade going clockwise instead of counter-clockwise. The demonstration lead by the USC also paraded from Quezon Hall stopping in front of Palma (AS) and Melchor Halls (Eng’g) to voice their call against the TOFI and encourage students to join the demostration. They brought with them an ephigy of UP Presdident Roman controlled by President Arroyo.

By 4:30 in the afternoon, the joint NCPAG-SOLAIR parade (who had thier own marching band) met up with the CS and CFA parade along the freshie walk. They were shortly joined by the CMC. Upon reaching the side of the Quezon Hall, those who joined the parade separated to go back to their own colleges. Everyone deliberately avoided the Quezon Hall except for the CMC.

The parade went peacefully and was successful.