MANILA, Philippines -- Six youth activists were arrested and several others hurt after their protest rally against the education summit in Manila was dispersed by anti-riot policemen Thursday morning.

Arrested were Joanna Rose Adenit and Emman Montado of the Philippine Normal University, Crimson Laglera of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (Anakbayan), Alvin Cerrano of PUP-League of Filipino Students, Arlo Cervantes of University of the Philippines-Diliman, and Vic del Rosario from Caloocan.

They were taken to the General Assignment Section of the Manila Police District on United Nations Avenue for questioning.

Prior to the arrests, a group of 30 protesters managed to sneak past truncheon-wielding policemen and unfurled anti-government banners around 10:30 a.m. at the corner of A. Bonifacio Drive, near the Manila Hotel where the education summit was being held.

Another group of 100 protesters were blocked by Manila policemen at the corner of Orosa and T.M. Kalaw Streets.

A confrontation between the activists and anti-rally policemen ensued, which led to a violent dispersal.

The demonstrators claimed that from A. Bonifacio Drive, policemen chased them toward Luneta Park where they held a short program. They said they were about to end the program when policemen arrived and attacked them again by hitting them with truncheons.

The injured protesters were brought to the Ospital ng Maynila, while the others went to MPD headquarters to demand the release of the arrested students.

According to Anakbayan, the protesters were dispersed as they marched towards the hotel "without the benefit of negotiations."

However, police said the protesters had no rally permit from the city government of Manila.

Among those who joined the rally were members of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students, Kabataang Pinoy, and Alliance of Concerned Teachers.

The groups criticized the non-inclusion of student and teacher representatives in the summit, and the government's "general thrust of commercialization and privatization of education," which they said led to yearly budget cuts and deregulation of tuition fees.

They said they are planning to stage a larger protest Friday and expect students from Southern Tagalog to join them.

They also said that they are preparing to come up with a critique of the recommendations of the education summit over the weekend.