Riot police use secret weapon… Katy Perry

WITH protesters at a summit meeting threatening violence, it was time for the riot police to bring out their secret weapon – pop star Katy Perry.

The singer’s hit Roar was played at a deafening volume as officers in the Philippines sought to distract the protesters and drown out their chants.

Hundreds of Left-wingers had gathered outside a venue in Manila where Barack Obama and other leaders of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation group were meeting.

Some protesters tried to break through lines of police, who were carrying riot shields and wooden batons. Officers responded with water cannon and scuffles broke out before the loudspeakers were wheeled out to play a demonstration disco playlist.

Dolly Parton’s Islands in the Stream, David Guetta’s Sexy Bitch and the Bee Gees’ How Deep is Your Love were among the other songs deployed. To add a level of menace, some of the police tapped their batons against their shields in time with the music.

‘It’s not unusual,’ said a police spokesman on using music at protests. She added there was no intention to insult the protesters, who say summit trade deals neglect the poor.

But Leftist parliamentarian Carlos Isagani Zarate said it was ‘ridiculous’ as the demonstrators retreated to the soul classic My Girl.