PAD disrupts central business district

Written by Writer on Friday, October 17th, 2008

PAD disrupts central business district
BANGKOK, Oct 17 (TNA) – Protesters of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) marched to the Silom central business district, causing traffic disruption with hundreds of police on hand to maintain order.

Led by PAD core leader Somsak Kosaisuk, the protesters earlier gathered at Lumpini Park and marched to Silom Road, heading to Narathiwatratchanakarin Road.

As they marched, the PAD demonstrators distributed CDs depicting police violence on October 7 when the police used teargas to disperse PAD protesters outside parliament.

Meanwhile, another group of demonstrators wearing red scarves gathered 15 metres away from the PAD protesters on Friday morning. Led by Pol. Lt-Col. Kan Tienkaew, acting deputy leader of ruling People Power Party, they denied that they were members of the pro-government National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD).

The group said they did not plan to provoke a clash with PAD but gathered to ask for justice for the police, whom they said did not attack people during the dispersal of protesters on October 7. The group later moved to the Chinese embassy, demanding investigation into tear gas imported from China.

The investigation by a fact-finding committee of the National Human Rights Commission found that made in China tear gas canisters used by the police to disperse protesters contained explosive components. (TNA)