POLICE are gearing up for continuation of a rally near the Parliament today (Feb. 20) after demonstrators staged a lengthy parallel no-confidence debate against the government last evening and suspect that they might stay there overnight, Sanook.com quoted INN News as saying.
Pol. Gen. Damrongsak Kittipraphat, deputy national police chief, said police are prepared to handle the rally in front of the Parliament on Kiakkai road should the situation escalate.
Water cannon trucks and other equipment had been brought in with Metropolitan Police instructed to perform their duty and enforce the law against the protesters who violate the law but at the same time prevent any clashes and violence.
Meanwhile Mr. Piyarat Jongthep, or Toto, the leader of We Volunteer (WeVo) guards last night urged police to fully close Samsen road, where one lane was left open for traffic to flow to Kiakkai intersection, after a pickup truck drove through with the windows open and those within taunting the demonstrators as he feared there might be chaos.
A motorcyclist too caused a commotion near the demonstrators’ stage, having ridden up and parked next to the barrier there. The guards in questioning him yanked his crash helmet off leading to a small fracas.
He was told to leave the rally site, which he did but returned again. This time the guards found alcohol under his seat. They were afraid of a third hand trying to stir trouble there but police stepped in and resolved the issue with motorcyclist then riding away.
Last evening’s rally in front of the Parliament started at 5 p.m. with students and the general public having flocked in. Some of them brought their pots and pans along to bang as is being done in Myanmar.
Some MPs from the Move Forward Party came out and sat with the demonstrators to listen to the speeches being given by the rally leaders
According to the schedule, speeches and debates were to centre on eight main topics with these being the following:
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A remedy or aggravation?
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A new solution to inequality problem.
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Chase the state before the state chases us.
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Thai police.
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Make the south peaceful within our generation.
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The hell called school.
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Politics and sex, sex and politics.
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Cheats in the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the game to amend the Constitution.
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Top: The stage for the parallel no-confidence debate. Thai headline says, “Stage for censure debate.” Photo: Sanook.com
Home Page: WeVo guards surround a motorcyclist who caused a problem last night. Photo: Sanook.com
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