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| Huge opposition rally in Thailand | Huge opposition rally in Thailand |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters have gathered in Thailand's capital Bangkok to press the government to step down and hold new elections. | Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters have gathered in Thailand's capital Bangkok to press the government to step down and hold new elections. |
| About 40,000 soldiers and police are on the streets in case of trouble. | About 40,000 soldiers and police are on the streets in case of trouble. |
| The "red shirt" demonstrators are mainly supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006. | The "red shirt" demonstrators are mainly supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006. |
| Many of the protesters have come to the capital from Mr Thaksin's power base in the rural north of Thailand. | Many of the protesters have come to the capital from Mr Thaksin's power base in the rural north of Thailand. |
| They have been making their way to Bangkok since Friday. | They have been making their way to Bangkok since Friday. |
| Boisterous | |
| The BBC's Rachel Harvey, at the demonstration, says there are about 100,000 protesters. Red shirt organisers said hundreds of thousands would come. | |
| If the prime minister refuses to dissolve parliament on Sunday, we will declare new measures Jatuporn PrompanProtest leader In Thaksin's 'red-shirted' country | |
| Many were gathered in front of a stage at the rally site to hear their leaders make the demands signalling the official beginning of the protest, says our correspondent. | |
| The protest is boisterous but good-natured, she adds. | |
| Organisers have promised a peaceful demonstration, but said that if the government refused to quit they would step up their campaign. The protesters, led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), say Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had come to power illegitimately with the backing of the military and the Bangkok-based elites. | |
| Thailand has been in political turmoil since 2006 when yellow-shirted anti-Thaksin protesters began demanding the then prime minister step down over corruption accusations. | |
| Last chance? | |
| He was later forced out by a coup, but when his allies came back to power in 2008, his opponents occupied the prime minister's office for three months and seized Bangkok's two main airports for a week. | |
| THAKSIN TIMELINE 2001: Elected prime ministerSept 2006: Ousted in military coupSept 2006: Corruption investigation beginsJune 2007: Thaksin family assets frozenAug 2008: Prosecutors ask top court to seize frozen assetsOct 2008: Sentenced in absentia for conflict of interest in land dealFeb 2010: Court seizes $1.4bn of $2.3bn in contested assets Profile: Thaksin Shinawatra | |
| Mr Thaksin is now living in self-imposed exile in Dubai after receiving a two-year sentence in his absence for abuse of power; his supporters says that case was politically motivated. | |
| Prime Minister Abhisit has so far refused to meet the protesters' demands, saying to do so would further destabilise Thailand. | |
| Riot police and soldiers have been deployed outside government offices and the military has been given extra powers to impose curfews and restrict numbers at gatherings if necessary. | Riot police and soldiers have been deployed outside government offices and the military has been given extra powers to impose curfews and restrict numbers at gatherings if necessary. |
| The last major protests, in April last year, turned violent, with two deaths and dozens of people injured. | |
| "If the prime minister refuses to dissolve parliament on Sunday, we will declare new measures," said one of the protest leaders, Jatuporn Prompan. | |
| "We are planning to march to key spots belonging to those in power." | |
| But this may be the red shirts' last chance to reverse Thailand's political direction, says our correspondent, with the movement tiring and probably running low on funds, despite the wealthy Mr Thaksin's support. | |
| Are you in Thailand? Are you planning to take part in demonstrations? Send us your comments: | Are you in Thailand? Are you planning to take part in demonstrations? Send us your comments: |
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