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Red Shirts battle Thai police as protest spreads
Associated Press - April 7, 2010
Bangkok – Thousands of anti-government demonstrators have broken through police and military lines to flood the streets around Bangkok's business district and other areas of Thailand's capital.
The Red Shirts protesters, many on motorcycles, massed yesterday near Silom Road, a financial centre, from the commercial shopping district they had occupied since Saturday.
Earlier, the demonstrators pushed against police lines and pelted the riot squads with eggs and plastic water bottles along the tree-lined Rajdamri Avenue in front of the Four Seasons hotel.
After several hours of confrontations and negotiations, the demonstrators rushed through the blockade.
Protest leaders have defied a government order to vacate the commercial heart of Bangkok as they try to pressure Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to relinquish power. They vowed to stage convoys through 11 main city roads that the administration declared off-limits.
"We will teach the government a lesson: that every road belongs to the people," protest leader Nattawut Saikua said.
About 1000 riot police and soldiers faced off against a similar number of protesters on Rajdamri Avenue in the morning as luxury hotels in the area barricaded their doors.
Similar confrontations were reported in other areas.
Protesters clambered atop police trucks parked across the road to block the rally.
The light overhead railway that runs above Rajdamri Avenue was shut.
"We were going to see a movie," said Les Stanley, 55, an Australian resident in Bangkok. "Oh well, this is more interesting than a movie."
The government restated that it wants to solve the crisis peacefully. "Under the current climate, many citizens wouldn't want violence to take place or confrontation.
"And we've been mindful of that concern," government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn said as the clashes began. Business leaders called for an end to the crisis, predicting further shocks to the economy and tourism if it persisted.
More than a dozen shopping malls were set to close their doors for the fourth day in Bangkok's luxury shopping district, which includes five-star hotels such as the Four Seasons, Hyatt and InterContinental. Guests at the hotels were checking out in greater numbers. Business has estimated losses at up to 900 million baht ($30m).
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