Police target ‘repeat offenders’ at anti-govt protests
Bangkok police warned on Tuesday they are coordinating with prosecutors and courts to clamp down on anti-government protesters with harsher punishment, including tighter bail conditions.
Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Piya Tawichai told reporters on Tuesday that Thalu Fah pro-democracy protesters would gather at Nang Loeng intersection at 4pm in a bid to march to Government House.
Piya said Thalu Fah had gathered at the same spot on Monday and blocked traffic, thrown bags of coloured paint, draped banners over police barricades, cut barbed wire, and launched fireworks in an attempt to breach police barriers blocking their path to Government House. Police detained 26 protesters, seven of whom were found to have been arrested and bailed on charges related to previous rallies.
Piya said police will ask the court to reject their new bail applications.
They would also check more than 500 other detained protesters and push prosecutors and the court to tighten bail restrictions or increase punishment if they were found to have repeated rally-related offences, he added.
According to Piya, since July there have been 234 protest-related incidents involving 869 suspects, 624 of whom have been arrested.
