<p>Thai police on Tuesday fired water cannon and tear gas on pro-democracy protesters attempting to get close to parliament, where lawmakers were debating possible changes to the military-scripted constitution.</p>.<p>Thailand has seen months of student-led demonstrations demanding reform to the constitution and monarchy, and for the current prime minister to quit.</p>.<p>Several thousand took to the streets around the parliament building Tuesday, where riot police had blocked off roads with concrete and barbed wire.</p>.<p>Police fired water cannon at protesters trying to dismantle a barricade, and later used water laced with irritant, sending demonstrators scrambling to wash their eyes.</p>.<p>Some sheltered behind giant inflatable rubber ducks which protesters had planned to float along the river behind parliament as lawmakers debated inside.</p>.<p>"What are police thinking by firing water cannon at people? The police are serving a dictator," one protest leader said over a loudspeaker.</p>.<p>At one point police were forced to retreat when protesters threw tear gas canisters back into their lines. Five people were taken to hospital for treatment, medical officials said.</p>.<p>Student-led rallies have rocked Thailand since July, demanding the removal of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha -- who took power in a 2014 coup -- and reform of the military-scripted constitution.</p>.<p>Some in the movement have also called for reforms to the monarchy -- a once-taboo subject -- sending shockwaves through the Thai establishment.</p>.<p>As police and protesters clashed, lawmakers were considering whether to debate seven possible constitutional amendments.</p>.<p>They include a proposal to replace the present military appointments in the Senate with directly elected representatives.</p>.<p>But any constitutional change in Thailand is expected to take a long time and the junta-appointed Senate is unlikely to vote itself out of power.</p>.<p>Protesters insisted they just wanted to listen to the parliamentary debate.</p>.<p>Several opposition lawmakers came out of parliament to observe the protest and try to urge the police not to crack down hard on demonstrators.</p>.<p>Taopipop Limjittrakorn, an MP from the pro-reform Move Forward Party said police were ignoring pleas to de-escalate the situation.</p>.<p>"Police should not be overly violent and threaten them," he told reporters.</p>.<p>One group of protesters confronted several hundred ultra-royalist supporters who were staging their own rally, with the two sides throwing bottles and other objects at each other.</p>.<p>The royalists are against all proposals to change Thailand's 2017 constitution, saying they would undermine the monarchy.</p>.<p>Parliament is expected to vote on Wednesday on which constitutional amendments bills will be debated.</p>
<p>Thai police on Tuesday fired water cannon and tear gas on pro-democracy protesters attempting to get close to parliament, where lawmakers were debating possible changes to the military-scripted constitution.</p>.<p>Thailand has seen months of student-led demonstrations demanding reform to the constitution and monarchy, and for the current prime minister to quit.</p>.<p>Several thousand took to the streets around the parliament building Tuesday, where riot police had blocked off roads with concrete and barbed wire.</p>.<p>Police fired water cannon at protesters trying to dismantle a barricade, and later used water laced with irritant, sending demonstrators scrambling to wash their eyes.</p>.<p>Some sheltered behind giant inflatable rubber ducks which protesters had planned to float along the river behind parliament as lawmakers debated inside.</p>.<p>"What are police thinking by firing water cannon at people? The police are serving a dictator," one protest leader said over a loudspeaker.</p>.<p>At one point police were forced to retreat when protesters threw tear gas canisters back into their lines. Five people were taken to hospital for treatment, medical officials said.</p>.<p>Student-led rallies have rocked Thailand since July, demanding the removal of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha -- who took power in a 2014 coup -- and reform of the military-scripted constitution.</p>.<p>Some in the movement have also called for reforms to the monarchy -- a once-taboo subject -- sending shockwaves through the Thai establishment.</p>.<p>As police and protesters clashed, lawmakers were considering whether to debate seven possible constitutional amendments.</p>.<p>They include a proposal to replace the present military appointments in the Senate with directly elected representatives.</p>.<p>But any constitutional change in Thailand is expected to take a long time and the junta-appointed Senate is unlikely to vote itself out of power.</p>.<p>Protesters insisted they just wanted to listen to the parliamentary debate.</p>.<p>Several opposition lawmakers came out of parliament to observe the protest and try to urge the police not to crack down hard on demonstrators.</p>.<p>Taopipop Limjittrakorn, an MP from the pro-reform Move Forward Party said police were ignoring pleas to de-escalate the situation.</p>.<p>"Police should not be overly violent and threaten them," he told reporters.</p>.<p>One group of protesters confronted several hundred ultra-royalist supporters who were staging their own rally, with the two sides throwing bottles and other objects at each other.</p>.<p>The royalists are against all proposals to change Thailand's 2017 constitution, saying they would undermine the monarchy.</p>.<p>Parliament is expected to vote on Wednesday on which constitutional amendments bills will be debated.</p>