Thai police use tear gas and water cannon on protesters
BANGKOK Police yesterday used water cannon and tear gas against protesters outside a military barracks housing the Thai Prime Minister's residence.
It is the first use of non-lethal force at a Bangkok rally for several months.
The protest movement calling for the resignation of Mr Prayut Chan-o-Cha's government has lost steam in recent months following a second wave of coronavirus infections.
But the recent detention of four prominent protest leaders on royal defamation charges has given it a shot in the arm.
An estimated 2,000 demonstrators marched from the major Bangkok intersection Victory Monument yesterday to a nearby military barracks where Mr Prayut lives.
Some Thai protesters pushed through shipping containers and barbed-wire barricades, leading to a confrontation with riot police. Scuffles broke out between police and protesters, while some demonstrators were seen pushing a police truck.
"They are preparing everything, shields, baton, water with some chemical and rubber bullets," one protester at the front line told Thai media.
Amid the tense stand-off, officers used water cannon trucks and let off tear gas to disperse the crowd. - AFP
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