Thai police used water cannons and tear gas Tuesday to push back pro-democacy protestors near the parliament compound in Bangkok.
Demonstrators demanding changes to the Thailand’s constitution were pushed back by police as they tried to penetrate barriers on the perimeter of the compound.
Police blasted hundreds of protestors with water cannons as they tried to cut through razor-wire barricades before firing tear gas at them.
The Erawan Medical Center in Bankok said five people were hospitalized for teargas exposure and others were treated at the scene.
The student-led protestors are also calling for the removal of Prime Minister and former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, who led a 2014 coup against the elected government, and enacted reforms to limit the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Lawmakers were mulling proposals to amend the constitution during the unrest outside parliament. They are expected to vote on seven proposed constitutional amendments before the end of a two-day joint session of the House and Senate.
Parliament is not expected to agree on specific changes. Instead, lawmakers are expected to create a constitution drafting committee to write a new charter.
The protesters support a draft that would retract parts of the constitution, enacted in 2017 under military rule that ceded more powers to the Senate and other unelected branches of government.
