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| Tear gas is thrown as police scuffle with anti-government protesters near the government house in Bangkok November 24, 2012. Thousand of protesters gathered near parliament in capital Bangkok on Saturday, demanding the ouster of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. REUTERS/Stringer |
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| Anti-government protesters, calling for Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down, kicks away tear gas canister fired by police in Bangkok on Saturday (AP) |
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| Riot police stand guard around Government House in Bangkok today Photo: REUTERS |
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| Anti-government
protesters calling for Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step
down, protect their eyes as police fired tear gas to disperse them in
Bangkok Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. The anti-government protesters launched
a rally in
Bangkok on Saturday that
authorities fear will grow into the biggest demonstration the country
has seen since she took office last year. Photo: Sakchai Lalit / AP
|
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| Anti-government
protesters gather, trying to break through concrete barricades erected
on street near the protest site, as police fired tear gas to disperse
them in Bangkok Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. The anti-government protesters
calling for
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck
Shinawatra to step down launched a rally in Bangkok on Saturday that
authorities fear will grow into the biggest demonstration the country
has seen since she took office last year. Photo: Sakchai Lalit / AP
|
THAI police have fired tear gas and detained dozens of demonstrators as clashes erupted at the first major street protests against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government.
The violence, while relatively small scale, appeared to mark a new
phase in Thailand's long-running political crisis pitting Thai royalists
against ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra - Yingluck's brother - and
his supporters.
About 17,000 police were deployed for the rally in
Bangkok's historic district, which was organised by the royalist group
Pitak Siam, a relatively new force in the kingdom's fractured political
scene.
"In the name of Pitak Siam and its allies I promise that we
will topple this government," the movement's head, retired general
Boonlert Kaewprasit, declared from the rally stage.
The demo comes
two and a half years after dozens of people died in a military
crackdown on "Red Shirt" protests against the previous government in the
heart of the capital.
About 20,000 people were estimated to have joined Saturday's rally,
according to police, far short of the half a million organisers had
hoped would attend.
Tensions flared as police fired several rounds
of tear gas at protesters trying to ram through barriers near the main
rally site in the Royal Plaza using a truck.
"Tear gas was used in
one area because protesters did not comply with the rules," said
national police spokesman Major General Piya Uthayo.
About 100 protesters were detained while knives and bullets were confiscated, he said.
Thirty-seven people, including a number of police officers, were treated for cuts and other injuries, officials said.
The
authorities called in an extra 5,700 police after the clashes, but said
they would allow the rally to go ahead at the Royal Plaza so long as
the other protesters gathered peacefully.
Yingluck on Thursday
voiced fears the protesters aimed to use violence and to "overthrow an
elected government and democratic rule", in a televised address to the
nation.
The government invoked the Internal Security Act (ISA) in
three districts of the capital to cope with possible unrest, giving the
police additional powers to block routes, impose a curfew, ban
gatherings and carry out searches.
"We will evaluate the situation
daily and if it escalates we are ready to invoke emergency rule," Thai
police chief General Adul Sangsingkaew said on national television.
Thailand
has been rocked by a series of sometimes violent rival street protests
in recent years, although an uneasy calm had returned after national
elections in 2011.
Two months of mass opposition protests in 2010
by Red Shirt supporters loyal to Thaksin - who was toppled in a coup in
2006 - sparked a deadly military crackdown that left about 90 people
dead and nearly 1,900 wounded.
At their height, those rallies drew about 100,000 people demanding the resignation of the previous government.
Thaksin's sister Yingluck is now prime minister after his political allies won a landslide election victory last year.
Thaksin,
who made billions as a telecoms tycoon, is adored by many poor Thais
for his populist policies while in power, but reviled by many in elite,
military and palace circles who see him as authoritarian and a threat to
the monarchy.
The demonstrators at Saturday's rally, who included
supporters of the influential "Yellow Shirt" royalist movement, called
on Yingluck's government to stand down.
"I can't stand that they
disrespect the king. I want the government to quit," said 48-year-old
farmer Namsai Jantarat from the northern province of Chiang Mai.
Observers
say prosecutions - often targeting people linked to the Red Shirts -
for insulting the monarchy have surged since royalist generals overthrew
Thaksin following a series of mass protests by the rival Yellows.
The Red Shirts threatened to strike back in the event of a new coup.
"This
rally is illegitimate," Red Shirt leader Thida Thavornseth said at a
news conference on Saturday. "We will come out in force if there is any
sign of a coup or the government loses control."
--------------
Tensions flare as protesters urge Thai PM to quit
AFP
Updated November 25, 2012,
AFP
© Thai anti-government protesters hold a placard as another
waves a national flag during a protest in Bangkok on Saturday. Thai
police on Saturday fired tear gas and detained dozens of demonstrators
as clashes erupted at the first major street protests against Prime
Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government.
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai police on Saturday fired tear gas and
detained dozens of demonstrators as clashes erupted at the first major
street protests against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government.
The
violence, while relatively small scale, appeared to mark a new phase in
Thailand's long-running political crisis pitting Thai royalists against
ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra -- Yingluck's brother -- and his
supporters.
About 17,000 police were deployed for the rally in
Bangkok's historic district, which was organised by the royalist group
Pitak Siam (Protecting Siam), a relatively new force in the kingdom's
fractured political scene.
"In the name of Pitak Siam and its
allies I promise that we will topple this government," the movement's
head, retired general Boonlert Kaewprasit, declared from the rally
stage.
But the estimated attendance of about 20,000 fell far short
of the half a million organisers had hoped for, and by early evening as
rain began to fall Boonlert called off the protest, which had been due
to last until Sunday.
"I can't afford to lose even one life so I declare the rally over," he announced.
The
demo comes two and a half years after 90 people died and about 1,900
were wounded in a military crackdown on "Red Shirt" protests in the
heart of the capital against the previous government, which was replaced
by Yingluck's administration last year.
Earlier Saturday tensions
flared as police fired several rounds of tear gas at protesters trying
to ram through barriers near the main rally site in the Royal Plaza
using a truck.
"Tear gas was used in one area because protesters
did not comply with the rules," said national police spokesman Major
General Piya Uthayo.
About 100 protesters were detained while knives and bullets were confiscated, he said.
Forty-two people, including seven police officers, were treated for cuts and other injuries, officials said.
The
authorities called in an extra 5,700 police after the clashes, but
allowed the rally to go ahead at the main protest site, the Royal Plaza.
Yingluck
on Thursday voiced fears the protesters aimed to use violence and to
"overthrow an elected government and democratic rule".
The
government invoked the Internal Security Act (ISA) in three districts of
the capital to cope with possible unrest, giving the police additional
powers to block routes, impose a curfew, ban gatherings and carry out
searches.
Thailand has been rocked by a series of sometimes
violent rival street protests in recent years, although an uneasy calm
had returned after national elections in 2011.
At their height,
the Red Shirt rallies in 2010 drew about 100,000 people demanding the
resignation of the previous government and the return of Thaksin, who
was toppled by royalist generals in a coup in 2006.
Thaksin, who
made billions as a telecoms tycoon, is adored by many poor Thais for his
populist policies while in power, but reviled by many in elite,
military and palace circles who see him as authoritarian and a threat to
the monarchy.
The demonstrators at Saturday's rally, who included
supporters of the influential "Yellow Shirt" royalist movement, called
on Yingluck's government to stand down.
"I can't stand that they
disrespect the king. I want the government to quit," said 48-year-old
farmer Namsai Jantarat from the northern province of Chiang Mai.
The Red Shirts threatened to strike back in the event of a new coup.
"This
rally is illegitimate," Red Shirt leader Thida Thavornseth said at a
news conference Saturday. "We will come out in force if there is any
sign of a coup or the government loses control."
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