[ad_1]
Thousands of Thais have continued to protest in Bangkok on Monday since the anti-government movement broke out in recent weeks, demanding political reforms, despite a recently enacted emergency ban on assembly.
The police used tornadoes to disperse mainly young activists who tried to use umbrellas to repel the police. Some protesters threw plastic bottles.
Some protesters said that the police used tear gas, but the police denied this.
Another big rally is scheduled for 4:00 PM Bangkok time on October 17.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha warned that a curfew could be imposed, rejecting requests to resign.
The protesters also demanded the reform of Thailand’s powerful monarchy.
On Thursday, the government tried to limit the student-led protest movement by issuing an emergency decree, prohibiting the gathering of more than four people and arresting about 20 activists.
Several key leaders of the protest were among those arrested, including human rights lawyer Anon Nampa, student activist Parit Chiwarak – widely known as “Penguin” – and Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul.
Mass protests began by urging Prayuth to resign, a former military commander-in-chief who took power in the 2014 coup and was appointed prime minister after last year’s controversial elections.
The protests have now spread to demand a limit to the king’s power.
Calls for royal reform are particularly sensitive in Thailand, where criticism of the monarchy can be punished with long prison terms.
Some 2,000 protesters took to the streets in central Bangkok on Friday night.
They carry the slogan “Let’s free our friends,” in reference to more than 40 people arrested this week.
Jonathan Head of the BBC in Bangkok reported that crowds increased rapidly, from a few dozen to thousands, as people returning home from work stopped to join the protest. rebellion of the country.
The protesters chanted curses directed at the Thai prime minister.
The police then threw the tornado into the crowd. Some protesters said the water contained a chemical that stung their eyes, a claim that has not been independently verified.
“I have to fight for my future,” said a 22-year-old protester.
Most of the protesters subsequently disbanded. Some tried to resist and were arrested.
The rally organizers then called on the crowd to go home and prepare for another big rally on Saturday.
Police spokesman Yingyot Thepchamnong warned that the authorities had “issued a warning against violations of the law.”
“Then there will be strong measures to enforce the law,” he added.