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Thai Police Disperse Pro-Democracy Protesters Ahead of Key Event

Thai Police Disperse Pro-Democracy Protesters Ahead of Key Event

Thai police arrested protesters and dispersed crowds at a small demonstration in the capital, Bangkok ahead of a key anti-government demonstration on Wednesday.

Live television footage from the event showed officers pulling down one of the protest leaders who was standing on top of a van and carrying him away into a police vehicle, while using megaphones to ask demonstrators to leave the area.

“Please don’t use force -- our intention isn’t to hurt anyone but to take control of the area,” police told protesters, some of whom came from provinces outside of Bangkok to join the gathering.

The activist group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said 21 protesters were arrested and taken into custody.

Demonstrators including school and university students as well as labor groups plan to surround the prime minister’s office and openly defy King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Wednesday to demand the government’s resignation, a rewriting of the constitution, and reforms of the monarchy.

Deputy Premier Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees security affairs, said on Monday the government had prepared for the planned protest.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.