Anti-Trump demos ahead of summit
Manila: Riot police used water cannon to prevent hundreds of protesters reaching the US embassy in Manila, just a few hours before the arrival of President Donald Trump in the Philippines for a regional summit and the last leg of his Asia tour.
Carrying placards declaring “Dump Trump” and “Down with US Imperialism”, the left-wing protesters were blocked by police in riot gear with shields and batons, and then showered with jets of water from a fire engine.
“Trump is the CEO of the imperialist government of the US,” said 18-year-old student Alexis Danday after the protesters were scattered.
“We know he is here to push for unfair treaties between the Philippines and the US.”
Trump arrived in the Philippines yesterday for meetings with Asean leaders and other East Asian nations, fresh off an Asia-Pacific summit and bilateral visit in Vietnam.
The Philippines will be Trump’s last stop on a marathon tour that has taken him to Japan, South Korea, China as well as Vietnam. Despite Trump’s “America First” policy, the visit should provide some assurance that Washington is committed to a region that Beijing sees as its strategic domain.
The increasing use of the phrase “Indo-Pacific” by Trump and his team during their Asian tour this week, instead of the more common “Asia-Pacific” term has been seen by analysts as an effort to depict the region as more than Chinadominated.
Trump will meet Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila, where he will try to shore up relations strained by the mercurial Duterte’s notorious anti-US sentiment and his enthusiasm for better ties with Russia and China.
Leaders from Japan, China, Canada, South Korea, Russia, India, Australia, New Zealand and as well as the member states of Asean will also be at the summit.
We know he is here to push for unfair treaties between the Philippinesp and the US.
Alexis Danday