LIVE UPDATES: Police and protesters struggle for control of Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong Intersection

Protesters pushed back against a tide of police officers who moved in earlier this afternoon to clear the area around Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong Intersection in a bid to block a protest rally and stamp out the growing anti-government movement.

Dodging and shifting positions, swelling ranks of protesters as of 4pm had gained ground against the large force and were in control of the intersection, which they poured into after officers attempted to clear the area. By 5pm, several thousand people had filled the streets, encircled by police, some in riot gear, who are refusing to let anyone in or out despite ordering them to disperse by 6pm. After protesters clashed with police in an unsuccessful attempt to break their line, officers moved back to create more space.

As dusk fell at 6pm, police did not move to enforce the order as protesters sang the national anthem. The…