[image]Protesters in Thailand announced a full weekend of
anti-government activities starting with a massive procession
through Bangkok followed by "blood painting," their latest
shock tactic aimed at forcing new elections.
Thousands of Red Shirt protesters remained have
camped in the historic heart of the capital, which will
be the starting point of Saturday's march that will loop the
capital and wind through Bangkok's central business district.
"It will be a massive caravan," said Jatuporn Prompan, a
leader from the movement formally known as the United Front
for Democracy against Dictatorship. "Protesters will travel
around Bangkok on thousands of vehicles."
The protesters want Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to
dissolve Parliament and call fresh elections - a demand he
has repeatedly rejected. Abhisit has been sleeping and
working from an army base for the past week to avoid
demonstrators.
Protest leaders have increasingly portrayed the
demonstrations that started last Sunday as a struggle between
Thailand's impoverished, mainly rural masses and a
Bangkok-based elite impervious to their plight. The group
largely consists of supporters of former Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a 2006 military coup
for alleged corruption, and pro-democracy activists who
opposed the army takeover.
In an attempt to dramatize their demands, thousands of Red
Shirts lined up Tuesday to donate blood to their cause.
Leaders claimed they collected 300,000 cubic centimetres of
blood that were transferred into dozens of large plastic
jugs.
Most of the blood was splattered at Abhisit's office, at the
headquarters of his ruling party and at his private
residence.
Protest leaders say they have 15 jugs of blood leftover and
plan to use it to create a massive work of art.
"Artists and Red Shirts will be invited to partake in a blood
painting," Jatuporn said. They plan to unfurl a giant white
cloth on which supporters will be invited to paint pictures,
scrawl poems and express political statements.
"The theme of this artwork will be the history of the
people's fight for democracy," Jatuporn said.
Thaksin is popular among the rural poor for his populist
policies. They believe Abhisit came to power illegitimately
with the connivance of the military and other parts of the
traditional ruling class and that only new elections can
restore integrity to Thai democracy.
Abhisit said Thursday that the blood-spilling antics tested
the limits of the law - and were testing his patience. He
reiterated the government's stance that the protests will be
allowed to continue as long as they remain peaceful.
"Actions like drawing blood, pouring it and throwing -
strictly speaking are not all legal," Abhisit said, adding
that protesters were also not allowed to block city streets
and prevent government employees from entering their offices.
The size of the protest peaked Sunday at some 100,000
demonstrators, but has decreased by about half since then.
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