Thai Protesters Mass for Final Push to Topple Government
By VOA News
23 November 2008
Thousands of anti-government protesters have gathered in the Thai capital of Bangkok to prepare for what they say will be the "final battle" in their push to topple the government.
Supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) began massing Sunday outside the prime minister's office compound. Leaders of the group say they hope around 100,000 demonstrators will take part in a march on parliament Monday morning to disrupt a scheduled session of lawmakers.
Meanwhile, police made their own preparations. Local television showed police manning steel barricades and trucks with water cannons. At least 2,000 government troops are on standby in case street battles break out in front of parliament.
Several thousand government supporters held a counter-protest Sunday at a temple on the outskirts of Bangkok.
The PAD has camped on the grounds of Government House since August, demanding that Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat resign.
The protesters accuse him of being a proxy for his brother-in-law, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 for alleged corruption.
Eight of the protesters were injured in a pre-dawn grenade attack Saturday outside the prime minister's office compound.
On Thursday, a grenade attack on the grounds of the compound killed one protester and injured 23 others.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, and protesters have refused to allow police to enter the compound to investigate the incidents.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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