Demonstrators spilt their own blood at the gates of the Thai Prime Ministers
office yesterday as part of a mass protest against the Government.

Thousands of supporters of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship
” known popularly as Red Shirts ” queued to give 10ml of blood each in
makeshift donation tents in Bangkok. When enough had been collected to fill
several large plastic containers ” a total of 300 litres (530 pints),
according to organisers ” the liquid was carried to Government House, where
riot police allowed a few of the protesters to pour it on to the ground.

The spectacle was intended to ensure that Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Prime
Minister, would be forced to walk over the protesters œsacrifice. A priest
pronounced a curse against the Government and the crowd vowed to spill more
blood at Mr Abhisits home.

The Red Shirts support Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister who was
ousted in 2006 and lives in exile in Dubai. They believe that the current
Government is illegitimate because it came to power by virtue of politicans
defections, rather than by winning an election.

It has become increasingly clear, however, that the Red Shirts can achieve
little beyond the symbolic, having won no real concession from the
Government. With the protests entering their fifth day yesterday, demands
for the Prime Ministers resignation and new elections look unlikely to be
met. Mr Abhisit and his ministers are content simply to let the crisis die
down ” and time is on their side. From a peak of about 100,000 Red Shirts at
the weekend, numbers have been diminishing as the heat and discomfort take
their toll. Police estimated yesterdays crowd to be 30,000.

The protests have been peaceful so far, with police seemingly under orders to
avoid confrontation, but some analysts fear that the more ardent
demonstrators will try to provoke riots of the sort that broke out in April
last year, in which two people died and scores were injured.

One of the Red Shirts involved in yesterdays protest, Gaye Thunjaradi, 30,
said she hoped that the blood ceremony would be enough to make the groups
point. œI have never followed politics, she said. œBut this year I kept
watching the developments. I stand for the Thai people. This will shame Mr
Abhisit and show him that Thai people are willing to sacrifice Thai blood
for their cause.

According to Sean Boonpracong, a spokesman for the group, blood had been taken
from thousands of volunteers. œEverybody agreed ” its a symbolic sacrifice,
its a special bond with the Thais who fought for democracy and shed their
blood in the past, he said. œBlood is life.

The Red Cross ” and Thaksin ” expressed concern about hygiene risks, but the
protesters said that those supervising the process were doctors or nurses.
Salaktham Tojirakarn, one of the doctors on duty, said that a new syringe
was used for each donor and there had been no problems, apart from a
shortage of equipment.

More than 50,000 security personnel have been sent in for the rally, including
30,000 from the army, 10,000 police officers and 10,000 civil defence
volunteers.

The Thai Government has invoked the Internal Security Act, giving forces
powers to institute curfews, ban gatherings and deploy troops.

Bangkok international airport has been on high alert, with authorities
determined to avoid a repeat of the occupation in 2008, when Yellow Shirt
protesters ” aligned with the current Government ” seized the airport to
force political change.