Thai protesters poured several jugs of their own blood at the front gate of the government headquarters and outside the ruling party's offices Tuesday in a symbolic sacrifice to press their demands for new elections.
Thousands of red-shirted demonstrators formed long lines to have their blood drawn by nurses, a day after their leaders vowed to collect 1 million cubic centimeters of blood — 264 gallons (1,000 liters) — to spill at Government House and other key locations.
A few teaspoons of blood were drawn from the veins of each volunteer and then transferred into dozens of large plastic water containers that were passed overhead through the crowd of cheering protesters before being delivered to Government House, the prime minister's office. Riot police allowed protest leaders to approach the white iron front gate and pour out the blood, which oozed under the gate as national television broadcast the images live.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has not entered his office at Government House since the protests started on Friday.
"The blood of the common people is mixing together to fight for democracy," Nattawut Saikua, one of the protest leaders, told cheering supporters. "When Abhisit works in his office, he will be reminded that he is sitting on the people's blood."
As many as 100,000 Red Shirt protesters converged Sunday on the Thai capital to demand that Abhisit agree to dissolve parliament by midday Monday. Abhisit refused and blanketed the capital with security, but said his government was open to listening to what else the protesters had to say.
The Red Shirts include supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and other activists who oppose the 2006 military coup that ousted him for alleged corruption and abuse of power. They believe Abhisit came to power illegitimately with the connivance of the military and other parts of the traditional ruling class who were alarmed by Thaksin's popularity.
Minutes after the blood was spilled Tuesday, a medical cleanup team provided by the government — wearing white coats, face masks and rubber gloves — hosed down the site. Health authorities had warned that the protest was unhygienic and risked spreading disease if infected blood splashed healthy bystanders.
Hundreds of protesters then marched and rode pickup trucks and motorcycles to the nearby ruling Democrat Party headquarters and splashed several more jugs of blood on the pavement outside. Some tried to push their way past riot police but eventually dispersed.
Protest leaders also threatened to spill blood outside Abhisit's home in an upscale Bangkok residential neighborhood if their demands were not met.
Read more at Yahoo
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