The Child Rights Network (CRN) condemned the arrest of children during protests Sunday that resulted in 216 total arrests, 95 of which were minors.

The protests took place at various locations, including Ayala Bridge, Mendiola and Recto.

“We strongly condemn the excessive force and violent acts committed against children during the 21 September protests,” the CRN said in a statement. “These children, who come from backgrounds and experiences that no child should endure, deserve guidance and protection, not police brutality.”

The group called for an independent and impartial investigation into the arrests.

On Wednesday, the Salinlahi Alliance of Children’s Concerns, a child rights advocacy group, said many of the detained children were bystanders who were swept up in the arrests after violence erupted at the end of the rallies.

Candice Sering of Salinlahi said the minors were held without proper medical care, were forced to sleep on cold floors, and were given inadequate food and water.

“Even if they joined, it’s their democratic right,” she said.

Marianne Karingal, the mother of a minor with a mental condition who was arrested, joined a protest Thursday in front of the Manila Police District. She said she saw a video of police grabbing her son, identified as “Fishball Boy” Alvin Karingal.

“My son didn’t do anything,” she said. “You can see in the video that police grabbed him. His clothes were ripped and he was hit in the stomach. That hurt me as a mother to see it.”

Karingal said she wants to file a complaint but cannot identify the officers because their faces were covered. She said she hopes Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso will help get the children released.

Meantime, the human rights group Karapatan called on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate the police brutality allegations. The group’s legal counsel, Maria Sol Taule, said in a statement that photos, videos, and eyewitness accounts prove police used tear gas and live ammunition. She added that two people were reportedly killed during the dispersal.

The CHR said Monday it had sent teams to monitor the rallies and was gathering documentation and testimonies. The commission said it would continue to monitor the treatment of those detained.

It also said it would conduct an impartial inquiry into potential violations of police procedure and determine whether grave human rights violations were committed.

Lawyers from the National Union of People’s Lawyers reported that some detainees, including minors and people with disabilities, had bruises, head injuries, and other signs of torture.

The Manila Police District (MPD) denied the allegations.

“In the first place, the prosecutor would be the one to determine if the arrest was illegal,” MPD spokesperson Maj. Philipp Ines said. “Those detained went through inquest proceedings, so that means the arrests were legal.”

Ines added that the minors were not held in jail cells but were placed in the custody of the Women and Children Protection Section. He said they were provided with a medical team, lawyers, a human rights observer, and “food and care.”

The MPD spokesperson said the department is continuing to investigate those behind the violence. The MPD earlier reported that 244 people were arrested during the protest and all were processed through inquest.