Six anti-government protesters required hospital treatment for tear gas exposure on Friday after police attempted to disperse demonstrators led by Luang Pu Buddha Isara from outside the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (Capo) headquarters on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.
The monk suffered ill-effects from the tear gas but escaped any serious injury after five or six canisters were fired at People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protesters about 12.20pm.
Police also used water cannon in a bid to push back the protesters.
The demonstrators were trying to remove concrete barriers and barbed wire preventing them from accessing the Capo building.
Two men and four women were sent to Vibhavadi Hospital. Four of them were slightly injured and discharged after minimal medical treatment, the Erawan emergency medical centre reported on Friday.
The remaining two were admitted to hospital for thorough medical examinations.
Luang Pu, who stood in the front line of the gathering, had led around a thousand protesters and rice farmers to the Capo HQ from his Chaeng Watthana rally site as part of the PDRC's "final all-out rally".
The group demanded Capo launch a probe into former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for alleged dereliction of duty in the rice-pledging scheme and delayed rice payments to farmers owed cash under the subsidy programme.
The protesters also called on Capo to find the culprits behind the M79 grenade attacks on Chulabhorn Hospital and Siam Commercial Bank head office on Wednesday night, arguing that the perpetrators had targeted the monarchy, since the two organisations have links to the royal institution.
“We won’t leave,” Luang Pu said. “If the police want us to wait, we will wait for hours or days. It’s strange for them push us away even though we have yet encroach on their compound. We just want to launch complaints with Capo."
Four police investigators from Thung Song Hong police station subsequently arrived at the scene to negotiate with protesters and receive complaints regarding the use of tear gas against the group.
The move was intended to calm protesters, but tensions flared again when PDRC guards discovered an undercover policeman in their midst, carrying three pistols. The officer was named as Pol Col Thani Ketjulome, according to his ID card.
The guards seized the pistols and handed them over to Thung Song Hong police.
Luang Pu then decided to lead protesters back to their rally base site at 2.40pm, claiming his mission had been achieved.
Early in the day, the pro-government People’s Radio Network for Democracy group cancelled a plan to retake the PDRC's Chaeng Watthana rally area.
Its leader Sonrak Malaithong said he was concerned for the safety of rally-goers after learning that armed PDRC guards were “braced for possible confrontation”.
The network already tried to retake the rally site on May 8, but was blocked by police officers assigned to tighten security in the area.