A video shows a police van in the Philippines ramming into student activists demonstrating outside the U.S. embassy in Manila.

Philippines police used tear gas Wednesday to break up a crowd of leftist activists demanding that U.S. troops leave the country.

The police van drove into the crowd, running people over and injuring at least three students.

Television footage showed the van driving recklessly back and forth through the crowd, as protesters variously surrounded it and scattered away.

“There was absolutely no justification for it,” organizer Renato Reyes told media.

A firetruck also sprayed water at the crowd to break it up before protesters got hold of the hose. Police also used tear gas when protesters managed to break through a barricade and wrote “U.S. troops out now” in red paint on the embassy fence.

“Even as the president vowed an independent foreign policy, Philippine police forces still act as running dogs of the U.S.,” Reyes continued.

The activists, part of a leftist umbrella organization known as Bayan (Nation), were calling for American troops to leave the country’s southern island of Mindanao. The demonstration comes as controversial Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte visits China after indicating he would seek to strengthen relations between the two countries.

However, the protesters made clear they were against that effort as well. “The Philippines will not be dictated on, whether by the U.S. or China,” they said in a statement.</s>A Philippine police van rammed and ran over baton-wielding protesters outside the US embassy in the capital, Manila.

Police also used tear gas and truncheons on Wednesday to try to disperse about 1,000 people who had gathered in support of President Rodrigo Duterte's recent comments that he wanted to loosen his nation's alliance with the United States.

Police made at least 23 arrests, said Chief Inspector Arsenio Riparip, one of the officers overseeing the incident, adding demonstrators broke through the line of police securing the embassy's gates.

The van's driver, police officer Franklin Kho, told reporters he was driving the van away from the protesters because he feared they would try to seize it and use it to attack the police.

Photos showed a grey-haired man trapped underneath the stationary van with his leg and hips under one of the back tyres.

The rally came as Duterte visits Beijing to strengthen relations with the world's second-largest economy amid deteriorating ties with former colonial power, the US.

"We had to disperse them. They started it. They were trying to enter the embassy," Riparip told AFP news agency.

"We had to use tear gas. They overpowered our policemen."

A police van reversed quickly back into a crowd of dozens of protesters and then forward, running over at least two people and banging into others, footage broadcast by local television network ABS CBN showed.

Some screamed in surprise, others hurled stones at the van and yelled invectives. A speaker called the police "puppies of imperialists" on a loudspeaker.

A fire truck doused the rowdy protesters with water to push them back, but they took hold of the water hose and confronted the outnumbered police with rocks and red paint. After breaking through the police corridor, they scribbled "US troops out now" and other slogans on the embassy's tall fence with red paint.

Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde confirmed that the van hit protesters but insisted the driver was not at fault.

"They weren't really run over," Albayalde said in a statement, referring to the protesters.

"The rallyists were trying to flip over the patrol car. In the process, the driver extricated the patrol car and inadvertently hit some unruly protesters who sustained minor injuries."

'No justification'

The protesters were calling for the removal of US troops in the southern island of Mindanao.

"There was absolutely no justification [for the police violence]," Renato Reyes, secretary general of left-wing activist group Bayan, said. "Even as the president avowed an independent foreign policy, Philippine police forces still act as running dogs of the US."

One of the protest leaders, Amirah Lidasan, accused the police of starting the violence.

"It was the police who attacked the protesters. First they rammed the police vehicle against the people. Then they released tear gas and hit us with truncheons," she said.

While the Philippines is a defence ally of the US, Duterte - elected president in May on a ruthless anti-crime platform - has said he wants to distance the country from the United States.

He has launched abusive tirades against US President Barack Obama and warned that he may eventually cut ties altogether, after the US government raised alarm over thousands of people killed in Duterte's anti-drug campaign.</s>Several protesters lie on the street after being hit by a police vehicle during a protest outside the US embassy in Manila, October 19, 2016. Photo by Ben Nabong / Rappler

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Protesters and police clashed in front of the US Embassy in Manila on Wednesday, October 19, as cops tried to disperse a rally of indigenous peoples protesting alleged military and US presence in their ancestral lands.

Some of the protesters were injured after cops drove a police vehicle through the crowd.

Around 30 activists were also arrested in the violent dispersal, organizers said.

The protesters, led by SANDUGO, a newly-formed alliance of minority groups, were about to wrap up their rally when policemen started dispersing them, the organizers said.

Protesters and police clash outside the US embassy in Manila, October 19, 2016. Photo by Ben Nabong / Rappler

Police set off tear gas, and drove a police vehicle through the protesters' ranks. The militants, meanwhile, hurled bottles, paint bombs, and rocks towards the police.

Photo by Ben Nabong / Rappler

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the violent dispersal of the protest here at US Embassy which was led by our fellow Moro and Indigenous Peoples," a statement from Jerome Aba, national spokesperson of Suara Bangsamoro, said. "This protest serves to highlight the imperialist plunder, abuses, and continued domination of the United States in the country."

Photo by Ben Nabong / Rappler

"Today, we witnessed how even our local security forces are keen on employing violent tactics to quell the dissent of the marginalized and the oppressed," the statement added.

The groups that protested are part of the “Lakbayan ng Pambansang Minorya para sa Sariling Pagpapasya at Makatarungang Kapayapaan,” a caravan of minority groups from across the country.

In a statement, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said protesters were also violently dispersed in front of Camp Aguinaldo, the general headquarters of the military, on Tuesday, October 18.

"The CPP holds the leadership of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and officials of the Duterte government responsible for the violent affront against the people's democratic rights to demonstrate and seek redress [of grievances]," the CPP said. – Rappler.com</s>MANILA, Philippines | A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American Embassy in Manila.

The van’s driver, police officer Franklin Kho, told reporters he was driving the van away from the protesters because he feared they would try to seize it and use it to attack the policemen. “They were already trying to seize the vehicle,” Kho told reporters.

Associated Press TV footage showed the van repeatedly ramming the protesters as it drove wildly back and forth after activists surrounded and started hitting the vehicle with wooden batons they seized from police.

A fireman trains his hose at surging protesters as they force their way towards the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Indigenous peoples cry after they were cornered by police in a violent dispersal outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Police officers hit fleeing protesters during a violent dispersal outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Protesters display placards after forcing their way right outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Police officers pin down a protester during a scuffle outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Riot police stand guard in front of the U.S. Embassy after protesters threw red paint as they force their way closer to the gates in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Protesters display placards after forcing their way to the gates of the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) A police officer helps a bloodied protester after he was injured in a violent dispersal outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Police and protesters clash during a violent protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) A bloodied protester lies next to a passenger vehicle after he was injured in a violent dispersal outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the embassy. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) A police officers stands next to a bloodied protester after he was injured in a violent dispersal outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Protesters hit a Philippine National Police van after it rammed into protesters outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. The police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) A protester is helped after a Philippine National Police van, background, rammed into protesters outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines injuring an undetermined number Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Police and protesters clash during a violent protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

In front of horrified crowds, including videojournalists and photographers, the van suddenly charged backward then sprinted forward twice over a space of about 20 meters (60 feet), barreling through the scattered protesters and hurtling some to the side like bowling pins. A few were run over but somehow managed to stand.

Some screamed in surprise, others hurled stones at the van and yelled invectives. A speaker called the police “puppies of imperialists” on a loudspeaker.

At least three student activists were taken to a hospital after they were run over by the van, protest leader Renato Reyes said.

“There was absolutely no justification for it,” Reyes said of the violent police dispersal of about 1,000 protesters. “Even as the president vowed an independent foreign policy, Philippine police forces still act as running dogs of the U.S.”

Police lobbed tear gas and arrested at least 23 protesters who broke through a line of riot police and hurled red paint at the officers and a U.S. government seal at the start of the rally at the seaside embassy compound.

A firetruck doused the rowdy protesters with water to push them back, but they took hold of the water hose and confronted the outnumbered police with rocks and red paint. After breaking through the police corridor, they scribbled “U.S. troops out now” and other slogans at the embassy’s tall fence with red paint.

The national police said in a statement that the violent dispersal was “unfortunate” and an investigation would try to determine if the riot policemen followed crowd-control procedures. Investigators will also evaluate criminal and civil liabilities of the protest leader and rallyists for an alleged illegal mass assembly.

A left-wing legal group, the National Union of People’s Lawyers, condemned the police violence and said it would help the injured and detained protesters file criminal complaints against the police for violating their constitutional rights to free assembly.

The protesters, consisting of students, workers and tribespeople, were demanding an end to the presence of visiting U.S. troops in the Philippines and to support a call by President Rodrigo Duterte for a foreign policy not dependent on the U.S., the country’s longtime treaty ally.

The activists came from the largest left-wing umbrella group called Bayan (Nation), which has organized regular anti-U.S. protests in front of the embassy for decades, most of which are peaceful.

Duterte was on a state visit to China, where he is seeking to repair relations strained under his predecessor over territorial conflicts in the South China Sea. He is also seeking to expand two-way trade and investments and financing for badly needed infrastructure projects.

Amid an uneasy relationship with the U.S., Duterte has tried to reach out to China and Russia, bringing uncertainty to his country’s long alliance with America.

But the protesters also opposed the president’s effort to lean toward China. “The Philippines will not be dictated on, whether by the U.S. or China,” they said in a statement.

The violence happened as the police and Duterte are under increased international scrutiny for their alleged role in the killings of thousands of drug suspects and pushers as part of the president’s war on illegal drugs.

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez contributed to this report.</s>Protesters display placards after forcing their way to the gates of the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila.

MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American Embassy in Manila.

At least three student activists had to be taken to a hospital after they were ran over by the van driven by a police officer, protest leader Renato Reyes said.

Associated Press TV footage showed the van repeatedly ramming the protesters as it drove wildly back and forth after activists surrounded and started hitting the vehicle with wooden batons they seized from police.

In front of horrified crowds, including videojournalists and photographers, the van suddenly charged backward then sprinted forward twice over a space of about 20 meters (60 feet), barreling through the scattered protesters and hurtling some to the side like bowling pins. A few got ran over but somehow managed to stand.

Some screamed in surprise, others hurled stones at the van and yelled invectives. A speaker called the police "puppies of imperialists" on a loudspeaker.

"There was absolutely no justification for it," Reyes said of the violent police dispersal of about 1,000 protesters. "Even as the president vowed an independent foreign policy, Philippine police forces still act as running dogs of the U.S."

Police lobbed tear gas and arrested at least 23 protesters who broke through a line of riot police and hurled red paint at the officers and a U.S. government seal at the start of the rally at the seaside embassy compound.

A firetruck doused the rowdy protesters with water to push them back, but they took hold of the water hose and confronted the outnumbered police with rocks and red paint. After breaking through the police corridor, they scribbled "U.S. troops out now" and other slogans at the embassy's tall fence with red paint.

The protesters, consisting of students, workers and tribespeople, were demanding an end to the presence of visiting U.S. troops in the Philippines and to support a call by President Rodrigo Duterte for a foreign policy not dependent on the U.S., the country's longtime treaty ally.

The activists came from the largest left-wing umbrella group called Bayan (Nation), which has organized regular anti-U.S. protests in front of the embassy for decades, most of which are peaceful.

Duterte was on a state visit to China, where he is seeking to repair relations strained under his predecessor over territorial conflicts in the South China Sea. He is also seeking to expand two-way trade and investments and financing for badly needed infrastructure projects.

Amid an uneasy relationship with the U.S., Duterte has tried to reach out to China and Russia, bringing uncertainty to his country's long alliance with America.

But the protesters also opposed the president's effort to lean toward China. "The Philippines will not be dictated on, whether by the U.S. or China," they said in a statement.

The Philippine National Police did not comment immediately Wednesday.

The violence happened as the police and Duterte are under increased international scrutiny for their alleged role in the killings of thousands of drug suspects and pushers as part of the president's war on illegal drugs.

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez contributed to this report.</s>Philippine police van runs over protesters outside US embassy

MANILA -- A Philippine police van on Wednesday rammed and ran over baton-wielding protesters outside the U.S. embassy in Manila.

Police used tear gas and truncheons to try to disperse hundreds of people who had gathered in support of President Rodrigo Duterte's recent comments that he wanted to loosen his nation's alliance with the United States.

A total of 23 protesters were arrested, said Chief Inspector Arsenio Riparip, one of the officers overseeing the incident.

He said the protesters broke through the line of police securing the embassy's gates.

"We had to disperse them. They started it. They were trying to enter the embassy," Riparip told AFP.

"We had to use tear gas. They overpowered our policemen."

A police van reversed quickly back into a crowd of dozens of protesters and then forward, running over at least two people and banging into others, footage broadcast by local television network ABS CBN showed.

Photos showed a grey-haired man afterwards trapped underneath the stationary van, with his leg and hips under one of the back tires.

Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde confirmed the police van hit protesters but insisted the driver was not at fault.

"They weren't really run over," Albayalde said in a statement, referring to the protesters.

"The rallyists were trying to flip over the patrol car. In the process, the driver extricated the patrol car and inadvertently hit some unruly protesters who sustained minor injuries."

One of the protest leaders, Amirah Lidasan, accused the police of starting the violence.

"It was the police who attacked the protesters. First they rammed the police vehicle against the people. Then they released tear gas and hit us with truncheons," she said.

While the Philippines is a defense ally of the United States, Duterte — elected president in May on a ruthless anti-crime platform — has said he wants to distance the country from America.

He has launched abusive tirades against U.S. President Barack Obama and warned he may eventually cut ties altogether, after the U.S. government raised alarm over thousands of people killed in Duterte's anti-drug campaign.

Duterte is currently in Beijing on a mission aimed at improving ties with China and attracting billions of dollars of Chinese investment.</s>MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American Embassy in Manila.

The van's driver, police officer Franklin Kho, told reporters he was driving the van away from the protesters because he feared they would try to seize it and use it to attack the policemen. "They were already trying to seize the vehicle," Kho told reporters.

Associated Press TV footage showed the van repeatedly ramming the protesters as it drove wildly back and forth after activists surrounded and started hitting the vehicle with wooden batons they seized from police.

In front of horrified crowds, including video journalists and photographers, the van suddenly charged backward then sprinted forward twice over a space of about 20 meters (60 feet), barreling through the scattered protesters and hurtling some to the side like bowling pins. A few were run over but somehow managed to stand.

Some screamed in surprise, others hurled stones at the van and yelled invectives. A speaker called the police "puppies of imperialists" on a loudspeaker.

At least three student activists were taken to a hospital after they were run over by the van, protest leader Renato Reyes said.

"There was absolutely no justification for it," Reyes said of the violent police dispersal of about 1,000 protesters. "Even as the president vowed an independent foreign policy, Philippine police forces still act as running dogs of the U.S."

Police lobbed tear gas and arrested at least 23 protesters who broke through a line of riot police and hurled red paint at the officers and a U.S. government seal at the start of the rally at the seaside embassy compound.

A firetruck doused the rowdy protesters with water to push them back, but they took hold of the water hose and confronted the outnumbered police with rocks and red paint. After breaking through the police corridor, they scribbled "U.S. troops out now" and other slogans at the embassy's tall fence with red paint.

The national police said in a statement that the violent dispersal was "unfortunate" and an investigation would try to determine if the riot policemen followed crowd-control procedures. Investigators will also evaluate criminal and civil liabilities of the protest leader and rallyists for an alleged illegal mass assembly.

A left-wing legal group, the National Union of People's Lawyers, condemned the police violence and said it would help the injured and detained protesters file criminal complaints against the police for violating their constitutional rights to free assembly.

The protesters, consisting of students, workers and tribespeople, were demanding an end to the presence of visiting U.S. troops in the Philippines and to support a call by President Rodrigo Duterte for a foreign policy not dependent on the U.S., the country's longtime treaty ally.

The activists came from the largest left-wing umbrella group called Bayan (Nation), which has organized regular anti-U.S. protests in front of the embassy for decades, most of which are peaceful.

Duterte was on a state visit to China, where he is seeking to repair relations strained under his predecessor over territorial conflicts in the South China Sea. He is also seeking to expand two-way trade and investments and financing for badly needed infrastructure projects.

Amid an uneasy relationship with the U.S., Duterte has tried to reach out to China and Russia, bringing uncertainty to his country's long alliance with America.

But the protesters also opposed the president's effort to lean toward China. "The Philippines will not be dictated on, whether by the U.S. or China," they said in a statement.

The violence happened as the police and Duterte are under increased international scrutiny for their alleged role in the killings of thousands of drug suspects and pushers as part of the president's war on illegal drugs.</s>A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-US rally turned violent at the American embassy in Manila.

At least three student activists had to be taken to hospital after they were run over by the van driven by a police officer, protest leader Renato Reyes said.

TV footage showed the van repeatedly ramming the protesters as it drove wildly back and forth after activists surrounded and started hitting the vehicle with wooden batons they seized from police.

In front of horrified crowds, including video-journalists and photographers, the van suddenly charged backwards, then forward twice over a space of about 20m, barrelling through the scattered protesters.

A few were hit but somehow managed to stand.

Some screamed in surprise, others threw stones at the van and shouted.

A speaker called the police “puppies of imperialists” on a loudspeaker.

“There was absolutely no justification for it,” Mr Reyes said of the violent police dispersal of about 1,000 protesters.

“Even as the president vowed an independent foreign policy, Philippine police forces still act as running dogs of the US.”

Police lobbed tear gas and arrested at least 23 protesters who broke through a line of riot police and threw red paint at the officers and a US government seal at the start of the rally at the seaside embassy compound.

A fire engine doused the rowdy protesters with water to push them back, but they took hold of the water hose and confronted the outnumbered police with rocks and red paint.

After breaking through the police corridor, they scribbled “US troops out now” and other slogans at the embassy’s tall fence with red paint.

The protesters, consisting of students, workers and tribespeople, were demanding an end to the presence of visiting US troops in the Philippines and to support a call by president Rodrigo Duterte for a foreign policy not dependent on the US, the country’s long-time treaty ally.

The activists came from the largest left-wing umbrella group called Bayan (Nation), which has organised regular anti-US protests in front of the embassy for decades, most of which are peaceful.

Mr Duterte was on a state visit to China, where he is seeking to repair relations strained under his predecessor over territorial conflicts in the South China Sea.

He is also seeking to expand two-way trade and investments and financing for badly needed infrastructure projects.

Amid an uneasy relationship with the US, Mr Duterte has tried to reach out to China and Russia, bringing uncertainty to his country’s long alliance with America.

But the protesters also opposed the president’s effort to lean towards China.

“The Philippines will not be dictated on, whether by the US or China,” they said in a statement.

The violence happened as the police and Mr Duterte are under increased international scrutiny for their alleged role in the killings of thousands of drug suspects and pushers as part of the president’s war on illegal drugs.</s>A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-US rally turned violent at the American Embassy in Manila yesterday.

The van’s driver, police officer Franklin Kho, said he was driving the van away from the protesters because he feared they would try to seize it and use it to attack the policemen.

Television footage showed the van repeatedly ramming the protesters as it drove wildly back and forth after activists surrounded and started hitting the vehicle with wooden batons they seized from police.

In front of horrified crowds, including videojournalists and photographers, the van suddenly charged backwards then raced forwards twice over a space of about 20 metres (60 feet), barrelling through the scattered protesters and hurtling some to the side. A few were run over but somehow managed to stand.

At least three student activists were taken to a hospital, protest leader Renato Reyes said.

“There was absolutely no justification for it,” Mr Reyes said of the violent police dispersal of about 1,000 protesters. “Even as the president vowed an independent foreign policy, Philippine police forces still act as running dogs of the US.”

Police also used tear gas and arrested at least 23 protesters who broke through a line of riot police and hurled red paint at the officers and a US government seal at the start of the rally at the seaside embassy compound.

The national police said in a statement that the violent dispersal was “unfortunate” and an investigation would try to determine if the riot policemen followed crowd-control procedures. Investigators will also evaluate criminal and ­civil liabilities of the protest leader and rallyists for an alleged illegal mass assembly.

A left-wing legal group, the National Union of People’s Lawyers, condemned the police violence and said it would help the injured and detained protesters file criminal complaints against the police for violating their constitutional rights to free assembly.

The protesters demanded an end to the presence of visiting US troops, supporting a call by president Rodrigo Duterte for a foreign policy not dependent on its long-time ally.</s>MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine police van rammed into protesters, leaving several bloodied, as an anti-U.S. rally turned violent Wednesday at the American embassy in Manila.

At least three student activists had to be taken to a hospital after they were run over by the van driven by a police officer, protest leader Renato Reyes said.

AP Television footage showed the van repeatedly ramming the protesters as it drove wildly back and forth after protesters had surrounded and started hitting the van with wooden batons they had seized from the police.

Police later arrested 23 protesters, who broke into a line of riot police and hurled red paint at the policemen and a U.S. government seal at the seaside embassy.

“There was absolutely no justification for it,” Reyes said of the violent police dispersal of about 1,000 protesters. “Even as the president vowed an independent foreign policy, Philippine police forces still act as running dogs of the U.S.”

The violence happened as the protesters gathered to demand an end to the presence of U.S. troops in the country and to support a call by President Rodrigo Duterte for a foreign policy not dependent on the U.S., the country’s longtime treaty ally.

Duterte was on a state visit to China, where he is seeking to repair relations strained under his predecessor over territorial conflicts in the South China Sea. Duterte is also seeking to expand two-way trade and investments and seek financing for badly needed infrastructure projects.

Amid an uneasy relationship with the U.S., Duterte has tried to reach out to China and Russia, bringing uncertainty to his country’s long alliance with America.
A police dispersal occurs between combined minority groups and anti-U.S. activists and the Philippine National Police in front of the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Police arrest 30 protesters with 60 people injured, several rammed by a police van driven during the dispersal.