Thai riot police have managed to clear anti-government protesters from major rally sites in Bangkok. The police crackdown comes after demonstrators launched a three-month push to unseat Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Hundreds of police with riot shields met no resistance Friday, as they dismantled a protest camp near Yingluck’s office. The Government House has been closed since December as protesters camped nearby.
By Friday evening, tents were re-erected in the area. Police say the total number of full-time protesters dwindled sharply to about 5,000 from more than 150-thousand last year. The biggest anti-government street rallies in years have left at least 10 people dead and scores injured.
To defuse the crisis, Yingluck dissolved Parliament in December and became the caretaker prime minister until a new premier is named. However, protesters are demanding that Yingluck resign to make way for a non-elected "people’s council" to institute anti-corruption reforms.
