THAI DYED

In a bizarre but effective stunt, Thai protesters splattered the government residence of their prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva this Tuesday (16th) with pints of their own blood. Hundreds queued up to give 10ml of blood each. In total 300 litres (530 pints) were collected and spurted on the gates of the State’s HQ in a true B-movie style gore fest. All routes to the government’s nerve centre were blocked as protesters and police faced-off, but riot police eventually allowed a handful through to pour their symbolic offering. There were over 50,000 security lackeys on the ground, made up of 30,000 soldiers, 10,000 police and 10,000 civil defence volunteers - a slight overkill considering the 30,000 demonstrators present.

The protesters, appropriatley known as the Red Shirts, are in support of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was expelled in 2006 by a military junta. They consider the current government as illegitamate as it rose to power by default in 2008 after the previous administration was discredited on allegations of fraud. Abhisit has ignored demands to disband, only saying that he is willing to listen to the protesters, thereby keeping the situation in a stalemate whilst hoping that the protests run dry. The Red Shirts were into their fifth day of action by Tuesday while more than 100,000 demonstrators had assembled on the Sunday before.

The international airport in Bangkok has been on alert - with the powers that be not wanting to see a repeat of the occupation in 2008 by the Yellow Shirts (a faction affiliated with the current government). The Thai government has now implemented the Internal Security Act, empowering it to decree curfews, suppress gatherings and deploy troops. One of the protest leaders, Nattawut Saikua, told supporters, “The blood of the common people is mixing together to fight”. He linked the symbolism of the action to the Thais who had fought for democracy and shed their blood in the past.