Connect with us

News

Anti-Government Protesters Met With Rubber Bullets and Tear Gas

Avatar of CTN News

Published

on

police, Anti-Government Protesters Met With Rubber Bullets and Tear Gas

Police in Bangkok fired rubber bullets and tear gas to prevent protesters from getting near the residence of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in another rally calling for his resignation on Friday.

The rally organised by the Tha Lu Fah movement started at Victory Monument at 3pm with the burning of lamyai and mangosteen to protest against falling fruit prices in Thiailand. Demonstrators then walked along the same route they had taken on Wednesday, to the 1st Infantry Regiment on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road where the Prime Minister resides in Bangkok.

Police has barricaded the road with freight containers ahead of the Anti-Prayut demonstration for the Prime Ministers safety. As the demonstrators tried to move the containers police started firing tear gas and rubber bullets.

The demonstrators countered by throwing firecrackers at police.

After being met with tear gas and rubber bullets the protest organizers decided to return to the Din Daeng intersection and called off the protest at approximately 5.30pm. However a hard-core group of stragglers stayed behind to engage in violent skirmishes with police.

Some fires were set by the hard core protesters but heavy rain later caused both sides to seek shelter.

Protester hospitalized by rubber bullet

The number of injuries was not known but one of those hurt was Tanat Thanakitamnuay, the scion of the prominent property development family that controls Noble Development Plc.

He was injured by a rubber bullet near his right eye socket and was sent to Mission Hospital.

Mr Tanat was once a supporter of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) whose protests against the Yingluck Shinawatra government paved the way for the military coup that brought Gen Prayut to power in 2014.

He was the subject of a Vice News documentary that received international attention. In 2010, when he was 18, he drove his Porsche Carrera 911 into a crowd of red-shirt demonstrators.

However, he has since switched sides and has been speaking out against the Gen Prayut and his administration.

The Tha Lu Fah activists had vowed to protest peacefully on Friday after earlier demonstrations turned ugly.

“The failed management of Covid-19 by the government has caused people to die. Today we are out here to get rid of Prayuth,” said activist Songpon “Yajai” Sonthirak at the start of the rally.

Red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar has cautioned the young protesters that their violent confrontations with authorities could end up in a win for those in power.

Authorities have warned that any form of protest breaches emergency regulations and said that they were pressing charges in 300 cases against people involved in recent demonstrations.

Continue Reading

CTN News App

CTN News App

Recent News

BUY FC 24 COINS

compras monedas fc 24

Volunteering at Soi Dog

Find a Job

Jooble jobs

Free ibomma Movies