Police officers have deployed containers and barbed wires around Sanam Luang in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district on Saturday in anticipation of the rally scheduled by the Restart Democracy (Redem) group at 6pm.
The group announced on Saturday that they would hold a rally at Sanam Luang to urge the authorities to release leaders of the Ratsadon protest group who had been arrested earlier and charged with sedition and illegal gathering, among others.
The Coalition of Salaya for Democracy movement, a branch of the Ratsadon group, posted on their Facebook that the activities on Saturday would include writing on a white giant banner by rally participants urging the release of protest leaders.
“The banner will later be hung in front of Bangkok Remand Person on March 25,” it said.
A source revealed that the Redem group insisted that their rally would have no leader and no marching, and anticipated that it would end at around 9pm.
Deputy Metropolitan Police chief Pol General Jirasan Kaewsaeng-Ake said that police have prepared 22 companies of officers to monitor the situation and prevent it from escalating.
He urged motorists to avoid the following roads from 4pm until the rally ends: Rajini Road, Rajdamnoen Nai Road, Na Phra Lan Road, Kalayana Maitri Road, Sanam Chai Road, Tai Wang Road, Maharaj Road, Prachan Road, Na Phra That Road
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