Photo by Nestor Corrales<\/p><\/div>\n

MANILA, Philippines\u2014The initially uneventful rallies at the State of the Nation Address ended violently after protesters stormed toward the police barricade, prompting authorities to douse them with red-tinted water.<\/p>\n\n

The “firing” of the so-called water cannons from four fire trucks lasted around 20 minutes after 5 p.m. Monday as President Aquino rounded up his speech.<\/p>\n\n

However, National Capital Region Police Office Director Carmelo Valmoria assessed the SONA protests as still peaceful.<\/p>\n\n

“Yes, despite what happened, I’d say the rally was generally peaceful,” the Task Force Kapayapaan commander said after the angry militants backed off and dispersed voluntarily.<\/p>\n\n

The Task Force Kapayapaan had initially expected a peaceful dispersal after the program of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and its affiliates.<\/p>\n\n

Valmoria said there was no one injured and no one arrested in Monday’s conduct of the rallies.<\/p>\n\n

He justified the use of the water cannons, saying things could have been worse.<\/p>\n\n

“We allowed the protesters to hold their rallies the whole day, which they did peacefully. Then they try to breach the barricade,” Valmoria pointed out.<\/p>\n\n

Toward the end of the program, tension began rising as chants got louder and angrier, alerting anti-riot policemen to reform their ranks.<\/p>\n\n

As the lawmen beefed up their line, scores of militants charged at them, not minding the concrete barrier, steel fence and barbed wire that served as a first line of defense.<\/p>\n\n

Minutes later, red-tinted water began leaking from a hose connected to one of the fire trucks.<\/p>\n\n

At least four fire trucks\u2014 two behind the line, and two along the center island\u2014 trained their hoses on the protesters.<\/p>\n\n

The unfazed militants stood their ground, waving their banners and flags\u2014and so did the anti-riot policemen, who held their shields firmly and banging their truncheons in cadence.<\/p>\n\n

Behind the police barricade, another barrier made up of container vans was formed to protect another anti riot-unit lined up a few meters away.<\/p>\n\n

One of the negotiators, Supt. Leslie Castillo, said the protesters brought with them cutters to cut through the barbed wire.<\/p>\n\n

“They were meters away from our policemen when they got doused with water. But they did not break the barricade completely,” the official said.<\/p>\n\n

Some of the wires were cut and some concrete barriers were felled, where some militants tried pushing their way in.<\/p>\n\n

But they were held back by the water and another row of concrete barriers, where policemen were readying themselves.<\/p>\n\n

Castillo said no negotiations took place since the rallyists had already cut through the wires, prompting the fire trucks to train the hoses on them.<\/p>\n\n

Senior Supt. Procopio Lipana, Task Force CDM chief and the Quezon City Police District deputy director for operations, said there was no direct confrontation between the militants and the policemen.<\/p>\n\n

“The protesters eventually fell back and dispersed shortly before 6 p.m.,” he added.<\/p>\n\n

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