BANGKOK - Some 30,000 supporters of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra gathered in Bangkok Saturday to rally against the new Thai government they accuse of illegitimately assuming power.
More than 5,000 police were deployed to a city park where the crowd gathered ahead of a planned march to Government House, adopting the tactics of their rivals, who occupied the main government offices for three months last year.
But rally leader Jatuporn Prompan told the cheering crowd they would stop short of entering the main government office compound.
"We have to go to Government House tonight no matter what happens. We are not afraid of the police they deploy or the soldiers either," Jatuporn said, describing the rally mood as "relaxed".
Police said they would not interfere with the rally so long as it remained peaceful.
"There are around 30,000 protesters gathered at Sanam Lung now but so far there's no sign of violence," police area commander General Anan Srihiran told AFP.
Mean while in Davos Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Saturday he believed "the mood" of the Thai people is turning against opposition protesters but that he could order a second economic stimulus package.
"I think the mood of the people now is that they very much want to move forward, they want to get over the current divisions, they want to see a government that works hard, that deals with people's concerns and has the honesty and integrity that has been missing for so long," he said.
Source: AFP