Anti-U.S. demonstrators clashed with riot police in Pasay City on Wednesday during the ASEAN Summit.
The violence highlights growing local opposition to U.S. foreign policy and the presence of high-ranking American officials in the region.
Protesters, including members of the progressive group Bayan, gathered outside the Philippine International Convention Centre. The group targeted U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, chanting "Rubio is not welcome" [1]. Demonstrators said the United States is pursuing a policy of war and objected to the secretary's attendance at the summit [1, 2].
The situation escalated as protesters attempted to march toward the ASEAN venue. Riot police intervened to block the advance, resulting in physical clashes between security forces and the crowd [2, 3].
Amid the chaos, reports indicate that two journalists were nearly arrested by police [3]. The security operation focused on maintaining a perimeter around the international summit while managing the push from the demonstrators [3].
The protest occurred while regional leaders met to discuss economic and security cooperation. The disruption in Pasay City underscores the tension between official diplomatic engagements and grassroots sentiment regarding U.S. influence in Southeast Asia [1, 2].
“"Rubio is not welcome"”
The clash in Pasay City reflects a deepening friction between the U.S. government's strategic diplomatic goals in the Indo-Pacific and the perception of its foreign policy among local activist groups. The targeting of Secretary Rubio suggests that the protests are not merely about general anti-imperialism, but are specifically tied to the current administration's leadership and policy direction.
