Soldiers have broken up the red-shirt rally site on Utthayan Road after arresting its core leader Weng Tochirakarn and telling demonstrators to return home.
A soldier helps women as they vacate the red shirt rally site on Utthayan Road. Political rallies abruptly ended after the coup was staged yesterday afternoon. PAWAT LAOPAISARNTAKSIN
The move followed the announcement by army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha yesterday evening the military was seizing power from the caretaker government after both pro- and anti-government camps failed to settle their differences to end the political deadlock.
Some red-shirt co-leaders reportedly tried to mobilise rally-goers into resisting the soldiers, but this failed when gunshots were heard before the soldiers stormed the rally stage.
The soldiers had fired in the air to intimidate protesters. There were no reports of casualties.
Dr Weng, a key leader of the pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), and two other co-leaders were arrested and taken from the site in Thawi Watthana district in suburban Bangkok.
The dispersal startled many UDD supporters. Many frantically gathered their belongings and fled the protest site.
Some angry red-shirt demonstrators reportedly refused to end the rally.
Troops went ahead with the rally dispersal by calling all UDD guards to report to them and searched tents for weapons and other illegal items.
They brought the situation under control soon after 6pm, with all red-shirt demonstrators, including those who initially resisted, leaving the area peacefully.
The UDD began the rally on Utthayan Road on May 10 to protest against calls by anti-government protesters for an interim government after former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and nine cabinet members were stripped of power by the Constitutional Court.
The court had ruled her transfer of Thawil Pliensri as National Security Council secretary-general in 2011 was illegal.
The army had earlier allowed the UDD to continue its rally on Utthayan Road on the condition the group did not move from the site.
This restriction on the pro-government protesters was imposed when Gen Prayuth announced the introduction of martial law on Tuesday. The military believed the political chaos was too volatile and that further violence was likely.
On May 15, supporters of the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) at Khok Wua intersection were attacked with grenades and gunfire.
Three people were killed and 22 others were injured.
The attack forced the army to tighten security for protesters and to keep both the UDD and PDRC under close watch.
Following the imposition of martial law, UDD chairman Jatuporn Prompan insisted his group would continue its rally on Utthayan Road to oppose any attempt to stage a coup or appoint an unelected prime minister.
In Udon Thani, soldiers from Chao Phraya Surawong Watthanasak military base yesterday took control of the Khon Rak Udon radio station run by UDD co-leader Kwanchai Praipana.
Mr Kwanchai was not at the station when the soldiers turned up.
It was reported that, following Gen Prayuth's announcement, soldiers were ordered to arrest all red-shirt co-leaders across the country and take them to military camps.
Another report said caretaker acting Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan left his office at the Commerce Ministry two hours before the announcement.