Anti-Trump protesters took <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/asean-summit-begins-in-manila-amid-tensions-in-north-korea-south-china-sea-issue-24062">to the streets in Manila as the ASEAN summit began</a> on Monday in the Philippine capital.

Riot police had to use water<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/durterte-says-nobody-can-afford-war-over-south-china-sea-24048"> cannon to keep thousands of protesters </a>under control with placards of &quot;Trump Go Home&quot; and &quot;Ban Trump #1 terrorist&quot; on the streets in Manila, AFP reported.

Police said there were nearly 2,000 people at the rallies, AFP said.

&quot;They hit us with wooden sticks. One of my colleagues was hit in the face by a rock,&quot; police officer Ramon Dumagat told AFP.

US President Donald Trump landed in the Philippines on Sunday ahead of the ASEAN summit which began on today amid tensions in North Korea and the South China Sea.

In Vietnam earlier on Sunday, Trump said he was prepared to mediate in the dispute over the South China Sea, where four Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan contest China&#39;s sweeping claims to the busy waterway.

However, President Duterte said the &quot;thorny issue was better left untouched&quot;.

&quot;We have to be friends, the other hotheads would like us to confront China and the rest of the world on so many issues,&quot; Duterte said at a pre-summit business conference in Manila.

&quot;The South China Sea is better left untouched, nobody can afford to go to war. It can ill-afford a violent confrontation,&quot; the president added.

Police said there were nearly 2,000 people at the rallies

Anti-Trump protesters took to the streets in Manila as the ASEAN summit began on Monday in the Philippine capital. Riot police had to use water cannon to keep thousands of protesters under control with placards of "Trump Go Home" and "Ban Trump #1 terrorist" on the streets in Manila, AFP reported. Police said there were nearly 2,000 people at the rallies, AFP said. "They hit us with wooden sticks. One of my colleagues was hit in the face by a rock," police officer Ramon Dumagat told AFP. US President Donald Trump landed in the Philippines on Sunday ahead of the ASEAN summit which began on today amid tensions in North Korea and the South China Sea. In Vietnam earlier on Sunday, Trump said he was prepared to mediate in the dispute over the South China Sea, where four Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan contest China's sweeping claims to the busy waterway. However, President Duterte said the "thorny issue was better left untouched". "We have to be friends, the other hotheads would like us to confront China and the rest of the world on so many issues," Duterte said at a pre-summit business conference in Manila. "The South China Sea is better left untouched, nobody can afford to go to war. It can ill-afford a violent confrontation," the president added.

Anti-Trump protests in Manila during ASEAN summit

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Anti-Trump protests in Manila during ASEAN summit