For those who protested here

For those who protested here,
for those who cut their classes or skipped work to protest,
for alumni who went to campus,
for those who protested from afar,
for those who wrote statements in support of the protesters,

for those who protested by saying no,
for those who protested by posting on social media,
for those who suffered in silence,
for those who gave voice to that silence,
for those who had to say no over and over,
for survivors of any kind of abuse and violence,
for survivors who filed administrative cases,
for those who were discouraged from filing,
for those who sought refuge in community,
for those who were not believed,
for those who built a community of believers,
for those who feel like they don’t have the words,
for those who found they had the words when they thought they had none,
for those whose names and stories the institution seeks to forget,
for those who continue to be silenced,
for those retaliated against,
for the survivors who feel erased,
for those dismissed as hysterical, overemotional, and mad,
for those painted as “difficult” and “divisive” for speaking up,
for those who stayed and those who left,
for those who told the truth,
for those who inspire us to victory,
for those who couldn’t fight,
for those who have lost,
for those who bring hope,
for those who console us,

we wish for justice,
we honor you,
we stand with you,
we walk with you,
we will be your community,
we will celebrate our wins even when the institution tries to claim them,
we recognize the price you paid for your courage and compassion,
we hold space with you,
we are rooted in your truth,
we grow with you,
we will tell your stories—there are many ways to tell them,
we love you.

We resist by remembering.

–

This poem was written collectively by Time’s Up Ateneo members during our online gathering held on Oct. 15, 2022, the third anniversary of the protest against sexual violence and impunity in Ateneo de Manila University. The online gathering was held right after the laying of a flower memorial pot at the site where the protest began—outside the de la Costa Hall which houses the School of Humanities. The flower pot is inscribed with the words, “For those who protested here.”

We are posting this poem today, Oct. 17, 2022, on the occasion of the third anniversary of the founding of Time’s Up Ateneo.