Thai police warn protestors not to regroup

Thai police warned pro-democracy protestors not to regroup on Thursday after a pre-dawn sweep by police in riot gear cleared away the camp they had set up outside the Government House in Bangkok, the office of the prime minister.

Protest leaders had earlier told supporters that the rally would reconvene at a major junction in the capital's central business district on Thursday afternoon.

"It is clear that this call is illegal and those who attend the protest will be considered in violation of the law," Bangkok Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Krissana Pattanacharoen told a news conference.

"You cannot use the excuse that you do not know the law, the rules, the orders and the announcement," he said.

More than 20 people were arrested during the operation to clear the protest site, the deputy spokesperson said.

Some protesters briefly tried to resist but there was no significant violence.

Authorities moved quickly Thursday morning to sweep away any trace of the rally site and to clean up the area around Government House.

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