A Thai court on Thursday released a British national charged with violating the country's emergency law by participating in violent anti-government protests, according to dpa. Bangkok's Pathuwan District Court sentenced Jeff Savage, 49, to three months in jail, but then reduced the jail term by half because he pleaded guilty. The court then released Savage as he had already spent 45 days in prison awaiting his sentence. Savage was scheduled to be transferred to Bangkok Remand Centre and then deported. Anti-government protests, from March 12 to May 19, culminated in street battles between soldiers and protestors that left 90 people dead and more than 1,800 injured. Savage appeared on a video posted on YouTube shouting, "We're gonna smash Central World Plaza [department store]. We're gonna loot everything, gold, watches, everything and then we're gonna burn it to the ground." The same court set a trial date of September 5 for Australian Conor David Purcell, 30, who has pleaded not guilty to violating the emergency decree imposed to quell the riots. The two foreigners often appeared on stage during the protests to make anti-government speeches in English. The emergency decree was applied across Bangkok and surrounding areas from April 7 in response to protests led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, better known as the red shirts. More than 400 Thai nationals have been arrested and are awaiting charges. The protest ended on May 19 when government troops moved in on the demonstrators camped out at Ratchaprasong Road and forced their leaders to surrender. Protestors then went on a rampage, looting and burning down the Central World department store and about 30 other buildings.
