Oh. But that sort of thing is not allowed in Thailand. If the cops were to get rough they would be charged themselves. At least where the yellows are concerned. And of course with the army ready to step in on the side of the yellows, the cops need to be very cautious. It remains to be seen if the reds will be treated with the same courtesy throughout their protest. So far it seems the police have shown an unbiased disregard for law and order to both the reds and yellows.

I suspect that if some violence isn't forthcoming from the reds it will be manufactured in order to give the army an excuse to intervene with a more heavy hand.

In this situation I do feel some sympathy for the cops as they are being used as pawns in this game. Either being branded as cowards or bullies depending on the state of play, but never being given any real authority to intervene in an appropriate manner.

The cops are the "little brothers" in relation to maintaining the peace in Thailand.
The real power lies in the hands of the military and the cops well know that. And unlike the cops, the military are immune from the law.