Police launched tough operations, using rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon, to disperse anti-government protesters who tried to break a container barrier and move closer to the Grand Palace on Saturday night.
The confrontation at Sanam Luang came after demonstrators used ropes to pull down a wall of shipping containers placed to keep them from advancing towards the Grand Palace. Waiting behind the containers was a line of riot-control police officers and a water cannon truck.
After warning the crowd of about 1,000 protesters to not advance any further, police began firing the water cannon into the air from behind the barricade. But the crowd did not back down and riot police moved in.
The rally at the Sanam Luang ground which started about 5pm heated up after police started using the water cannon and rubber bullets about 7.40pm, prompting protesters to disband and flee to the Pin Klao bridge.
Police chased some protesters who had fled to the bridge. The crowd had largely disbanded by around 8pm.
Loud bangs that sounded like firecrackers were heard at the time and rubber bullets were being fired. Protesters responded by throwing objects at crowd-control forces.
Pol Maj Gen Piya Tawichai, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said that since the protest site is in Bangkok, where public gatherings are prohibited under the emergency decree, Saturday's rally at Sanam Luang was illegal.
Twenty-two companies of crowd-control police officers -- or about 3,000-- were deployed to the site on Saturday, he said.
Shortly after the rally started, Pol Col Sanong Saengmani, chief of Chana Songkhram police, through a loudspeaker called on the protesters to abide by the emergency decree and Disease Control Act and immediately end their gathering.
In return, the protesters booed him and the police official backed down to avoid a confrontation. However, a number of protesters began removing metal barriers to make way for vehicles equipped with loudspeakers to pass to Ratchadamnoen Avenue.
Around 7pm, the protesters removed two containers despite ongoing warnings by the police, which prompted the stronger response.
Police on Saturday also raided the Fah Diew Kan (Same Sky) publishing house in Nonthaburi and seized copies of a book entitled Sathaban Phra Maha Kasat Kap Sangkhom Thai (The Monarchy and Thai Society).
Activists were planning to give out 10,000 copies at the Sanam Luang gathering.
