Thailand protests: Royal family confronted by protesters as government declares state of emergency

Описание: Tensions are rising in Thailand after police in riot gear forcefully cleared protesters from the grounds of the prime minister’s offices in Bangkok in the early hours of Thursday within 30 minutes of the government declaring a state of emergency to quell pro-democracy rallies.

Following a mass rally of thousands of activists in the capital on Wednesday to demand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s resignation and the reform of the monarchy, a new emergency decree has banned gatherings of more than four and outlawed online posts deemed to be a national security threat.

However, protesters – most of them students – have vowed to defy the rules and regroup on Thursday afternoon at the Rajprasong intersection in the heart of a major shopping district.

Calls to continue demonstrating came despite the arrests of high-profile protest leaders, including human rights lawyer Anon Nampa and Parit “Penguin” Chirawat, who have both been vocal in the criticism of the country’s revered monarchy and been detained before.

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