Police, Anti-Government Demonstrators Clash in Bangkok

Demonstrators clashed with Thai police in Bangkok Wednesday amid ongoing protests over the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Protesters fired slingshots and threw paint and firecrackers at police, who in turn used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse them. The confrontation occurred as the crowd sought to approach the home of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. The protesters are demanding Prayuth resign for what they believe is his mismanagement of Thailand’s most serious outbreak of infections and its adverse impact on the economy. He refuses to resign. Police said at least eight officers were injured and the Erawan Medical Center reported one demonstrator was hurt. This was the second consecutive day of protests over the government’s response to the pandemic. The U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University says on its coronavirus dashboard that Thailand currently has more than 795,000 confirmed cases and 6,588 deaths. The coronavirus causes the COVID-19 disease.