Defying a government crackdown, in which 8 people are reported to have been killed, around 10,000 pro-democracy protesters have returned to the streets today. They’ve organized near Yangon’s Sule pagoda where heavily-armed military forces gathered close and fired warning shots. Government vehicles with loudspeakers have also caused panic by announcing to demonstrators that they would risk being shot if they did not leave the streets.

Today’s gathering came after government military forces conducted pre-dawn raids on at least two monasteries in Yangon, beating and arresting over 70 monks. The opposition National League for Democracy, led by detained Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, reported that several of its senior members were also arrested. Aung San Suu Kyi herself still remains under house arrest. Despite the very real threat of arrest and death, protesters have vowed to continue their demonstrations.

An estimated 100,000 people joined Wednesday’s protests in Yangon - making it the largest turnout yet since the current wave of anti-government demonstrations began more than a month ago.

The protests, which were triggered by a sudden massive hike in the price of fuel, have become the biggest challenge to Myanmar’s military rulers in almost two decades.

Due to Wednesday’s violence, demonstrations have also begun outside of Myanmar’s embassies around the world. China, Myanmar’s biggest diplomatic ally and major trading partner, reacted to international pressure by playing down the situation. Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu called said that “all parties can exercise restraint” and said that foreign media reports were “exaggerating and hyping up” the situation.

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