Protesters enter palace security

Protesters enter palace security

MANILA (Reuter): Dozens of demonstrators broke through tight security around the Philippine presidential palace yesterday and startled palace guards by staging a rally denouncing President Fidel Ramos for raising fuel prices.

The protesters avoided detection by moving quietly one by one into the restricted zone in front of the visitors' gate of the Malacanang palace and, at a pre-arranged signal, unfurled their protest banners.

The rally was part of a series of protests launched last week by labor, student, church and consumer groups assailing the decision by the energy board to raise petroleum prices by an average of 55 centavos (US$2.2) a liter.

The protesters carried placards reading "No to oil price hike" and "Ramos government anti-poor...pro-foreign interests" but civilian guards angrily grabbed some of the signs and ripped them off.

The protesters marched away chanting slogans after the palace guards brought in a fire truck apparently ready to bombard them with water.