Three groups of protesters plan anti-government rallies at different locations in Bangkok on Wednesday, Metropolitan Police Bureau deputy commissioner Pol Lt Gen Piya Tawichai said on Tuesday.
He said the Ratsadorn Taliban group planned to gather at Lat Phrao intersection at 2pm.
The Ramkhamhaeng for Democracy group planned to rally at 3pm at Kiak Kai intersection in front the parliament,where a no-confidence debate is being held.
The other group, the Thalu Gas, planned to rally at Din Daeng intersection.
Pol Lt Gen Piya warned that Bangkok is under maximum and strict Covid control, and rallies are prohibited. Violators would be liable to legal action under the emergency decree, the Disease Control Act and other related laws.
As for the rally in front of parliament, if laws were violated or there was an attempt to break into state premises police would strictly enforce the law using crowd-control equipment, in line with international standards. This incuded tear gas, purple-dye water canons and rubber bullets.
Barriers might be erected and some routes might be closed depending on the situation. Security measures would be taken to reduce adverse effects on the public.
Plans were in place for evacuation in case ordinary exit routes could not be used.
If protesters or protest leaders wanted under arrest warrants were found, they would be arrested. However, they would be spared if doing so could lead to chaos, as they could be arrested later, he said.
According to Pol Lt Gen Piya, since July this year there have been 169 cases relating to anti-government protests, with 644 protesters wanted for legal action and 374 of them arrested.
Since July 2020, there had been 421 protest-related cases, of them 220 were still being investigated while the investigation of 201 cases had been finished. A total of 164 warrants had been issued, he said.
Concerning the rally at the Din Daeng intersection on Sunday, when some protesters were sighted carrying objects suspected to be guns, Pol Lt Gen Piya said police had learned that at least two of them were from a vocational student group.
Six protesters were involved in beating and injuring a police officer on Sunday, and two of them had been detained, he said.
On that day, a police vehicle was hit by bullet-like projectiles. An investigation was underway, he said.