Four people were killed and more than 60 others injured as clashes between police officers and protesters broke out on Ratchadamnoen Avenue yesterday morning.
The police were met with resistance as they attempted to reclaim the protest site at Phan Fah Bridge on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue. Three of the dead were civilians and the other a police officer.
The Ratchadamnoen clashes came after police officers also tried to reclaim the Energy Ministry on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.
Two protest leaders and almost 200 demonstrators were arrested as police swooped on the two locations.
The demonstration in front of the Energy Ministry was led by the Energy Reform Network, while the Phan Fah protest was run by the Dhamma Army. Both groups are allies of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), the main anti-government movement which is staging the multi-site “Bangkok shutdown” campaign to oust the caretaker government of Yingluck Shinawatra.
The Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) previously announced it would reclaim the protest sites this week.
The operation started early in the morning when nine police companies arrived at the Energy Ministry protest site at 7am and asked about 200 protesters to leave the site. The demonstrators refused to leave and more than 140 of them were arrested.
Two protest leaders, Rawee Mashmadol and Tossapol Kaewtima, and 144 protesters were arrested and detained at Border Patrol Police Command Region 1 in Pathum Thani province.
About two hours after the Energy Ministry operation, 10 companies of riot control police led by Sa Kaeo police chief Yingyos Thepchamnong arrived at Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue to attempt to reclaim Phan Fah Bridge from the Dhamma Army.
Samdin Lertbut, a Dhamma Army leader, said police first asked the protesters to partially open Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue to ease traffic congestion, which the protesters agreed to.
“Later, the officers instructed us to leave the area. The protesters resisted the police’s order by sitting down on the road and praying,” Mr Samdin said.
Police continued to move in and began demolishing their tents and the rally site stage, he said. But the situation deteriorated when a large number of protesters attempted to obstruct the police operation, prompting officers to fire tear gas and rubber bullets at them.
As the police advanced from Ratchadamnoen Klang to Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue, they were targeted by bomb blasts and gunshots, prompting the officers to retreat and call off the dispersal operation.
Pol Maj Gen Yingyos, who led the operation, said the gunshots “came from every direction”. He said it was still unclear who launched the bomb and shooting attacks.
“We were hit by several bombs and I was busy rescuing my men,” he said.
The Erawan Centre reported that four people were killed and 64 people injured in the clash at Phan Fah Bridge. The victims were civilians Supoj Boonrung, 52, and Thanusak Rattanakot, 29, an unidentified man and police officer Pol Snr Sgt Maj Pianchai Parawat, 45.
The Royal Thai Police reported at least 20 police officers were taken to hospital after the clash.
Most of them suffered shrapnel wounds, while two of them sustained gunshot wounds.
The Phan Fa clash took place as PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban led protesters from Pathumwan intersection to “safeguard” Government House from being reclaimed by CMPO.