Thai Police Fire Tear Gas At Political Protest

[Thai at Heart]

So is it over.

Boonlert is on tv right now. speeches stopped. Seems done. Very odd.

[carra]

The police in Thailand rightly take a lot of stick but they have done well today.

And lucky for the general that the rain started to give him an excuse to end the rally after he was probably told to piss off by the current generals he was calling for help

[DocN]

1 Million demonstrators, huh? I hope that at least ones, one of these idiots sticks to their word and shuffles of into the sunset! Silently!

Don't charge him for treason- he is just a dinosaur, who's meteor is on the horizon!

...I won't hold my breath, though!

[DerkMR]

Rally ends 5:20 pm ??

Saksith Saiyasombut‏@Saksith 5.20pm: Gen Boonlert has announced the end of the #PitakSiam rally, in order "to save lifes and energy" for future protests.

Bye,

Derk

[sjjmmi]

The police in Thailand rightly take a lot of stick but they have done well today.

And lucky for the general that the rain started to give him an excuse to end the rally after he was probably told to piss off by the current generals he was calling for help

[rijb]

Confrontation at Makkawan Rangsan Bridge continues

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Some 500 protesters still confronted police at the Makkawan Rangsan Bridge at 10:40 am Saturday, trying to break through the police barricades to join the rally at the Royal Plaza.

Police used a sound truck to urge the protesters to make a detour to join the rally site via either the road in front of Benjama Bophit Temple or in front of the First Infantry Division.

Gen Kittisak Ratprasert, a protest leader tried to lead the protesters to the direction of the temple, but some of the demonstrators insisted they would march straight on through the police lines.

-- The Nation 2012-11- 24

Quoting this, because its very relevant. The police aren't preventing them from getting to the protest site, merely blocking one particular route.

Quite clear that there are elements in the crowd determined to cause trouble. Important to understand that not only have they refused the Police request to use the designated entry points, but they have also defied their own "leader", making it clear that they have no interest in actually joining the rally, but merely want a violent punch-up with the Police. Maybe Chalerm knew what he was talking about with the "third hand".

More likely it was Chalerms connections that are the cause of the trouble trying to bring down the intent of the organisers. A few appropriately 'placed' dissidents does not mean they were part of the real protest group and Chalerm has been vomiting warnings about this, probably to try to protect his ass when he knew what was about to happen to allay suspicion from himself.

You are the master of supposition and content-free rhetoric. Live long and prosper in your fantasy world.

[Orac]

1 Million demonstrators, huh? I hope that at least ones, one of these idiots sticks to their word and shuffles of into the sunset! Silently!

Don't charge him for treason- he is just a dinosaur, who's meteor is on the horizon!

...I won't hold my breath, though!

Apparently Boonlert is blaming the government for preventing the upcountry protesters from getting to the rally - he seems to be under the dillusion that he has massive support in Isaan as he was about 98 per cent short of his 1m people.

Providing the people that are there disperse peacefully I think the government will be quite happy with todays events - both the handling of the protests and the lack of support for their removal.

[theslime]

If they don’t stick to the rule of law the police should arrest them and take them away off the streets, lock them up.

That may work in a less than perfect world, but like in the south, the army disappearing people disobeying the police might be a good thing. In a perfect world the police here would have to lead the way by locking themselves up for not sticking to the law by your logic .

[CharlesGrady]

Democracy : 1 , Fascism : 0

[Cnxforever]

And since when have thailand's police 'enforced the law' as you claim?

maybe you don't get it? If YOU organize a protest then YOU are reponsible that YOU obey by the rules and laws of the country- as agreed to in the permit from the authorities! If YOUR protest that YOU organized gets out of hand and breaks the rules and the law - YOU will be held responsible and not the police!

And we are obviously witnessing proper law inforcement this time - speaks for the government!

[AleG]

Did they kidnap Yingluck yet?

[15Peter20]

1 Million demonstrators, huh? I hope that at least ones, one of these idiots sticks to their word and shuffles of into the sunset! Silently!

Don't charge him for treason- he is just a dinosaur, who's meteor is on the horizon!

...I won't hold my breath, though!

Apparently Boonlert is blaming the government for preventing the upcountry protesters from getting to the rally - he seems to be under the dillusion that he has massive support in Isaan as he was about 98 per cent short of his 1m people.

Providing the people that are there disperse peacefully I think the government will be quite happy with todays events - both the handling of the protests and the lack of support for their removal.

Indeed, and the Pitak leaders have also avoided tainting their image any further so it's a good result all round.

I'll refrain from using the 'guilt by association' tactic (used by anti-reds) to label all the grannies gathered in front of the stage as supporters of incitement to murder by remaining at the event after they heard a call for the death of the PM and just say that the majority of the protesters indeed appeared peaceful.

I'll also refrain from accusing those of throwing gas cannisters at the police of being treasonous terrorists despite their leaders expressing a desire to see a coup. They're just petty thugs that would be destined for short-to-medium length prison sentences in any society with a well established justice system.

[Rich teacher]

Congratulations to the RTP & the popular government. Shame on these dinosaurs wanting to live in a fairy tale.

[rijb]

Democracy : 1 , Fascism : 0

I think its:

current government (with all its faults and failings): 1

anarchists with intent to incite a coup: 0

expats - on either side: not applicable

[philw]

This thread has been better than a day at the races..................

Loony right wing expats urging on a loony right wing general in an attempt to bring down an elected Government.

Kudos to Yingluck and co for doing the right things.

[animatic]

My, my. So many voices not seen since the last PTP government "action",

who have all suddenly reappeared... 'as if by magic', all with variations on the same lines.

Protestors bad, government good

Good job put down the demonstrating thugs

Old world greed put down by altruistic government

Governments never fall because of public protests other places,

so this one can go to extreme measures to put down protesters

Not many showed up a rally so it's not a popular movement.

(ignoring that they were prevented from showing up )

All the right words to back the governments planned image,

and photographers, cameramen and protestors cameras

showing violence against protestors confiscated.

Propaganda 201 all in a days for a damned hampster

on a diamond encrusted treadmill.

[Mosha]

So as the pitiful small bunch of malcontents shuffle off into the rain, can we now get on with the real job in hand. Time for the senile old fool in charge of Pitak Siam and his henchmen to be brought to trial for treason.

Then maybe we could weed out all those other fosils of the past still lurking in the corridors of power, still playing at being generals, admirals or God knows what.

Prime Ministers

[monkfish]

Good work by the police to contain the attempted violence without injury to the protesters and Thailand can breath again until the next time the loonies come out.

[rijb]

My, my. So many voices not seen since the last PTP government "action",

who have all suddenly reappeared... 'as if by magic', all with variations on the same lines.

Protestors bad, government good

Good job put down the demonstrating thugs

Old world greed put down by altruistic government

Governments never fall because of public protests other places,

so this one can go to extreme measures to put down protesters

Not many showed up a rally so it's not a popular movement.

(ignoring that they were prevented from showing up )

All the right words to back the governments planned image,

and photographers, cameramen and protestors cameras

showing violence against protestors confiscated.

Propaganda 201 all in a days for a damned hampster

on a diamond encrusted treadmill.

Nah! What really sticks in your craw is that a "dumb" prime minister outsmarted her opposition.

Try not to get so emotional.

[Rich teacher]

Just listening to some crowd estimates on TV. They analysed the area from a birds-eye view & they are saying less than 10,000. Hahaha, not surprising they pulled the plug is it? Good to see few are foolish enough to join in with this idiot.

[hands22]

Kudos to the police force!

I sincerely hope that the Pitak Siam rally will be called off for good. Even the Democrat Party are very quiet about the whole affair.

[sjjmmi]

BiB 300 baht per hour

[Crushdepth]

Good work by the police to contain the attempted violence without injury to the protesters and Thailand can breath again until the next time the loonies come out.

Yeah, this time they didn't sever anyone's arms or legs with tear gas grenades. Great success!

[Pimay1]

Congratulations to the RTP & the popular government. Shame on these dinosaurs wanting to live in a fairy tale.

Gushing.

[carra]

Good work by the police to contain the attempted violence without injury to the protesters and Thailand can breath again until the next time the loonies come out.

Yeah, this time they didn't sever anyone's arms or legs with tear gas grenades. Great success!

As the forum yellows never tire of telling us, if they are there they know the risks so no feeling sorry for themselves, they knew the risk and they took it etc etc etc

Edited November 24, 2012 by carra

[Mosha]

Just listening to some crowd estimates on TV. They analysed the area from a birds-eye view & they are saying less than 10,000. Hahaha, not surprising they pulled the plug is it? Good to see few are foolish enough to join in with this idiot.

So we can safely call the police response overkill then.

[jcw]

If they don’t stick to the rule of law the police should arrest them and take them away off the streets, lock them up.

I will tell that the next time a corrupt Thai police officer claims I was doing 160km/hr in reverse in the right lane

My comment is not directed directly at the rally today, but you clearly have not had any interaction and felt violated by Thai police.

Edited November 24, 2012 by jcw

[Semper]

Police fired 10 tear gas canisters at a group of demonstrators who removed barbed wire and barriers blocking their way near a UN building, said police spokesman Major General Prawut Thawornsiri.

I wonder if these are the Chinese tear gas canisters that contain shrapnel.

Not sure if they were Chinese made, but the Thai tv news showed pictures of them and the text on the canisters was in English: "Use before May 2012".

[MAJIC]

Another thread full of the same suspects trying to justify everything with the argument ' but the reds................'.

We even have one saying the police plant guns so I guess with that logic the army could have done the same, or inserted men in black etc etc etc ad nauseum.

The fact is that today there is a violent faction, pitak Siam are trying to force a coup so this was always going to be violent, why do you think he is squealing already for army protection?

It's pretty obvious you would like to GAG posters who refer to the Red Shirts in a debate, It's not going to happen,their sins will follow them,get used to it.

[MAJIC]

It will be interesting to compare how this govt deals with protests vs how Abhisit dealt with the 2010 shindig.

The Police did nothing for Abhisit,just stood around letting the Red Shirts take over Bangkok. Big difference when they actually do their job!

I remember pro-Abhisit posters saying that his one and only mistake in the build up to the violence of 2010 was letting the protest go on for too long. That it was by Abhisit's own tolerant approach that the police 'just stood around letting the Red Shirts take over Bangkok'. Now that this government is trying to avoid the same mistake and avert an escalation, we are told by the same posters the action is unacceptable. Strange.

You still don't get it! under Abhisit there was no will by the Police to clear the streets,because they sided with the Red Shirts,this time the target is much more to their liking,so they are motivated to do their job,because they don't favour the demonstraters of todays Rally. Clear now?