Thai police clash with protesters, reseize accesses to gov´t seat

Source: Xinhua | 08-29-2008 16:03

BANGKOK, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Reinforced Thai police forces early Friday afternoon cleared barricades of anti-government protesters and got control of main accesses to the Government House compound, where protesters continued their rally to demand the step-down of the government led by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.

At least a few hundred police were deployed at each of the five accesses to the Government House compound after they cleared barricades set up and guarded by demonstrators led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to block police to get into the Government House.

Clashes between protesters and police occurred on Friday morning at the major PAD rally site -- the Makkawan Bridge near the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia an the Pacific (UNESCAP) headquarters, some 200 meters away from one gate of the Government House.

Some protesters were injured and some seen armed with golf clubs and sticks, when they clashed with riot police with batons and shields, according to footages from both state TV and the PAD-sponsored ASTV station.

Police seized the central PAD stage at the Bridge, which has served the main rally venue for the PAD supporters since May 25 when they launched the continuous protests in an attempt to topple the Samak government.