Water cannons used against anti-Trump protesters in Manila

Manila: Manila police used water cannons against activists at a protest against US President Donald Trump, who is here to attend the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit here on Monday.

Police officers and demonstrators were injured in the clashes that erupted when officers blocked the protesters from marching towards the convention centre where Trump is attending the Summit, reports Efe news.

The demonstrators, many of whom came from left-wing groups, carried an effigy of Trump with four arms in the shape of a Nazi swastika, each of them carrying a missile, a bulldozer symbolising the exploitation of natural resources, a gun and a bag of money.

In addition to chanting slogans against the US President, some protesters also carried placards describing Asean as "neoliberal" and "privatising".

The Asean summit opened on Monday, with the member countries - Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - participating in the meetings.

The bloc will also hold bilateral meetings with the US, China, South Korea and Japan, among others.

The meetings will culminate on Tuesday with the East Asia Summit, which will include Australia, the US, India and Russia, in addition to the Asean countries.