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Thousands rally to demand Thai PM's resignation
 At least 15,000 people demanding Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's resignation kicked off a protest on Sunday which they say will not end until he steps down, as police warned of possible violence during the night. Some 1,000 extremists from a banned Buddhist sect were among the first to arrive, followed by diverse anti-Thaksin groups protesting everything from free trade deals to education policies. Loosely aligned as the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the protesters gathered at the Sanam Luang field near the royal palace in central Bangkok. After the rally, they planned to march to the Democracy Monument about one kilometre away and stay there until the Prime Minister steps down. "We will camp there until we get the answer from Thaksin," PAD spokesman Suriyasai Katasila told AFP. "If the police don't allow us to stay at the venue, we have the right to disobey their orders," he warned. At least 15,000 people had arrived for the protest according to police, organisers put the number at 40,000. Posted by: Fred 2006-03-06 |
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