The People’s Network Against the World Bank and IMF has demanded an official explanation from police after officers allegedly seized protesters’ banners and intervened in a peaceful symbolic demonstration near a meeting venue on Thursday morning, leaving several demonstrators injured.
The network said it was considering legal action against the officers involved, adding that protesters had received neither an explanation nor an apology from police following the incident.
The group said the protest had been conducted in accordance with Thailand’s Public Assembly Act, with prior notification submitted to Tha Ruea Police Station.
Organisers said they had also negotiated the proposed route, from the Customs Department to an area near the convention centre, and informed police of their planned activities.
Video footage from the scene shows a brief scuffle between police and protesters as officers allegedly attempted to seize banners and other protest materials. The protesters managed to unfurl a cloth banner on a pedestrian overpass.
Amarin Saichan, a member of the network’s legal team, said police had acknowledged the notification and permitted the gathering, including the planned display of banners.
When the protesters reached the Rama IV intersection, about 10 representatives prepared to carry out the activity outlined in their notification. Police officers then allegedly attempted to seize the banners, triggering a confrontation that left several people injured.
Network representatives and those injured said officers intervened without first examining the messages on the banners. They maintained that the banners contained nothing unlawful or dangerous, stressing that the demonstration was peaceful and unarmed.
The network argued that the Public Assembly Act requires police to facilitate demonstrations and manage traffic rather than use force or restrict freedom of expression. It described the officers’ actions as excessive and a violation of citizens’ rights.
