Crackdown Day

It's Valentine's Day, Macha Buccha day and it is also "police crackdown day" as police have begun reclaiming some areas now occupied by protesters.

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We will update the situation as the events occur

Updates

16:00

Post Today reports that a rather large group of protesters left the Ministry of Interior today and paid a "visit" to Metropolitian Police Bureau where they ate and rested as speaker after speaker criticised Chalerm Yubamrung, director of the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO), and high-ranking police officers.

13:15

Post Today is reporting that police did coordinate with leaders of the Network of Students and People for the Reform of Thailand (NSPRT) and the Dhamma Army and it was agreed the area cleared on Ratchadamnoen would stretch from the Misakawan intersection through to Makkhawan Rangsan bridge. The NSPRT main rally site and the Dhamma Army site at Phan Faa would remain intact and that is pretty much what has happened so far. The protesters affected were not part of either group, but were largely an independent group of vocational students.

12:30

It is now official. Today is not the day that authorities will try to retake the Chaeng Wattana rally site. Today was merely for negotiations, police say, and tomorrow they will return for Luang Pu Buddha Issara's answer. Thai PBS, at noon, showed a large number of cars that had come to site in support of the monk.

Meanwhile, the police efforts to clear the Makkawan Rangsan bridge area have stalled after an explosion occurred while they will clearlng sandbags. The authorities decided the situation was volatile and they ordered a retreat. Then, a second explosive went off, injuring a reporter. Protesters, said to be an independent group, are now rebuilding defences on the bridge.

Members of the Network of Students and People for the Reform of Thailand (NSPRT) are also returning to their base at the Chaimai Maruchet Bridge outside Government House.

11:50

Wanye Hay, a reporter for Al Jazeera, has reported that the police have abruptly left the area of the Chaeng Wattana rally site.

11:35

Police have reportedly pulled back from the Makkawan bridge. A short time ago, there was an explosion there, (reportedly a giant firecracker or ping pong bomb) which injured two, one a reporter. Other possible police targets this afternoon could be the the Interior Ministry and PTT headquarters on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road. Mr Chalerm says he has a surprise planned.

11:15

The marchers from the Network of Students and People for the Reform of Thailand (NSPRT) who left the Nang Loeng area before police arrived have reached the Ratchaprasong rally site. Their two core leaders Nititorn Lamlua and Uthai Yodmanee went on to the main PDRC rally site to meet with Suthep Thuagsuban. They said afterwards that have not given up their Government House rally site and will be returning.

10:55

Caretaker Labour Minister and director of the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO), Chalerm Yubamrung, has been holding a long press conference outside Government House. He just showed a large supply of explosives and weapons allegedly confiscated from the rally sites in the surrounding area.

He has warned all protesters at the various rally sites that they should leave and go home as the police operation will continue. He said the police are fully prepared to take over each site, but the prime minister has cautioned against using violence, so the police will be cautious in their approach, he said.

10:40

Video by Apichit Jinakul.

The focus now is on the Chaeng Wattana rally site as police have reportedly been edging forward. They are now reported to be within 50 metres of the protesters who have not abandoned their site as was the case in the Ratchadamnoen area earlier this morning. Police officers questioned by TNN 24 TV said they would stress negotiations over violence. Complicating the situation somewhat, however, is a large group of local residents who want the protesters to leave. The have now been moved behind police lines to prevent clashes.

10:00

The one group in the Ratchadamnoen, Government House area confronting police is the Dhamma Army at the Rangsan Makhawan bridge. No violence has been reported. The police are there in very large numbers.

9:45

Large numbers of protesters are said to be arriving at the main rally sites in the Sukhumvit area. Clearly, they will not be easy for the police to take if they try.

9:30

Television reporters are commenting on how easy and smooth the police operation in the Ratchadamnoen, Government House has been so far. They are wondering if an agreement was reached with protest leaders last night. There has been no resistance and the protesters have left their sites without taking their belongings. A large group from the Network of Students and People for the Reform of Thailand (NSPRT) has marched away down Petchaburi Road to Chitlom. It is not clear if they are headed to Ratchaprasong.

Meanwhile, at the Chaeng Wattana site, a large merit-making ceremony is taking place for Macha Bucha day. Negotiations between Luang Pu Buddha Issara and police have not yet begun.

9:00

If you like fresh, FRESH news here are people reporting on twitter from the crackdown area:

@WilwithoneL
@nikhon_
@vaitor
@joe_black317  (reports in Thai)
@georgehenton
@photo_journ has moved from the Asok rally site to Pathumwan

8:40

The first target has been announced as the rally sites in the Ratchadamnoen Nok, Government House area . Police have started to move in on the Misakawan intersection and have announced they will take back the entire area through to Makkhawan Rangsan bridge. The police force is large, well organised and there has been no resistance thus far – except for a group of women shouting at the police force. The first site appears to have been abandoned with only tents remaining. Police are going from tent to tent looking for suspicious items.

Crackdown Day

It's Valentine's Day, Macha Buccha day and it looks like it will be police crackdown day as police look likely to begin reclaiming areas now occupied by protesters.

The first operation will likely not include the main rally sites where many activities are taking place. A large police contingent has assembled at the Royal Plaza and it is not yet clear where they will go.

The Bangkok Post also reports that police are blocking the Nang Leung intersection and looked set to retake a rally stage from anti-government protesters.

The move came after National Security Council of Thailand’s secretary-general Paradorn Pattanatabut said on Thursday that police were likely to move to reclaim anti-government protest sites on Friday morning.

The target could be the stage in the area controlled by the Network of Students and People for the Reform of Thailand (NSPRT).

Another large police contingent has been deployed at Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani. Police are preparing to negotiate with the Chaeng Wattana rally leader Luang Pu Buddha Issara so that area can be reopened to normal traffic and work.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul says he wants government offices to be working normally by this Monday.

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