Thai police defended their use of force against protesters as a necessary public safety measure, as the capital Bangkok braced for more demonstrations on Wednesday to demand the prime minister's removal for mismanaging a coronavirus crisis.
on Tuesday to disperse protesters gathered near the residence of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to show their anger over an outbreak that has seen record deaths in recent days.
Thousands of protesters drove in a convoy of cars and motorcycles through Bangkok, stopping at locations linked to cabinet members or supporters of Prayuth, who has defended his strategy to fight the virus. Police said nine officers were injured, one by gunshot to the leg, while the other eight were hurt by firecrackers, rocks and shrapnel from homemade bombs made using ping pong balls."Police decided to use tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullet because we considered that if we don't, there will be more damage," Bangkok police chief Pakapong Pongpetra told a news conference.Protesters have called for another march to Prayuth's residence on Wednesday.
The youth-led movement, which drew broad support during months of large and frequent rallies last year, has seen a recent resurgence coinciding with country's worst COVID-19 outbreak yet, which has accounted for the overwhelming majority of Thailand's more than 788,000 cases and 6,700 deaths.Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Martin PettySubscribe for our daily curated newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters coverage delivered to your inbox.
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