Protesters warned they risk being shot as police move to clear Yangon streets.
Thursday’s gathering of up to 10,000 protesters was taking place near Yangon‘s Sule pagoda, a major shrine that has been the focus of anti-government protests in the city.
Reports said the warning shots fired by police have caused panic among the demonstrators, sending many scrambling for cover.
Witnesses said most of the protesters were lay people and students, with just a handful of Buddhist monks joining the latest demonstration.
Previous anti-government protests have seen thousands of saffron-robed monks march through the streets of Yangon.
Speaking from close to the Sule pagoda, an eyewitness told Al Jazeera that tensions were high in the area with heavily-armed security forces closing in on the protesters.
“There are so many army people there that it looks pretty scary,” the witness said.
She said the protesters have vowed to continue demonstrating against the military government, defying threats of further force after up to eight people were reported killed on Wednesday.
There has been few reports from other parts of the country, although previous days have seen protests in several towns and cities across Myanmar.
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