One dead, 96 injured in Thai clashes
One policeman died in the Bangkok clashes in December 26, and at least 61 people were injured by tear gas grenades, rubber bullets and apparently live bullets as street protests at an election preparation venue turned violent.
The policeman has been shot in the chest and died after being admitted to hospital. The helicopter that evacuated him out of the area was also attacked by gunfire. Another police officer was shot in the shoulder and a third was injured by self-made, so-called ping pong bombs (small smoke bombs that explode in a fireball after being thrown).
Twitter messages were talking of the use of real bullets and not just rubber bullets in the clashes and were reporting of gunfire to be heard.
As opposed to the peaceful protests in Bangkok over the past weeks, when police was rarely to be seen, officers on December 26 did not only make excessive use of teargas and rubber bullets, but also resorted to throwing bricks, rocks and scrap metal at protesters who gave them a similar response. At least one pick-up truck of a protester was badly damaged by police. Much of the Bangkok neighbourhood of Din Daeng, where the clashed took place, was engulfed in tear gas clouds which also affected children and elderly people at their homes and workplaces.
One policeman died in the Bangkok clashes in December 26, and at least 61 people were injured by tear gas grenades, rubber bullets and apparently live bullets as street protests at an election preparation venue turned violent. The policeman has been shot in the chest and died after being admitted to hospital. The helicopter that evacuated him out of the area was also attacked by gunfire. Another police officer was shot in the shoulder and a third was injured by self-made, so-called ping pong bombs (small smoke bombs that explode in a fireball after being thrown). Twitter messages were talking...
One policeman died in the Bangkok clashes in December 26, and at least 61 people were injured by tear gas grenades, rubber bullets and apparently live bullets as street protests at an election preparation venue turned violent.
The policeman has been shot in the chest and died after being admitted to hospital. The helicopter that evacuated him out of the area was also attacked by gunfire. Another police officer was shot in the shoulder and a third was injured by self-made, so-called ping pong bombs (small smoke bombs that explode in a fireball after being thrown).
Twitter messages were talking of the use of real bullets and not just rubber bullets in the clashes and were reporting of gunfire to be heard.
As opposed to the peaceful protests in Bangkok over the past weeks, when police was rarely to be seen, officers on December 26 did not only make excessive use of teargas and rubber bullets, but also resorted to throwing bricks, rocks and scrap metal at protesters who gave them a similar response. At least one pick-up truck of a protester was badly damaged by police. Much of the Bangkok neighbourhood of Din Daeng, where the clashed took place, was engulfed in tear gas clouds which also affected children and elderly people at their homes and workplaces.
