5:15am UK, Tuesday March 16, 2010

Peter Sharp, Asia correspondent

Thailand protesters will stage a bizarre act of protest by spilling their own blood as they try to bring about the downfall of the present government.

More than 100,000 demonstrators and 50,000 police are now in Bangkok

The Red Shirt activists are being asked to donate blood that will be spilled at the gates of Government House to demonstrate their fierce opposition to the rule of Prime Minisiter Abhisit Vejjajiva.

They are part of more than 100,000 demonstrators, loyal to the deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, calling for the government to stand down and call snap elections.

Protest leader Nattawut Saikur said: “If Abhisit still wants to continue as prime minister regardless of our demands, he must walk across Red Shirt people’s blood.”

Red-shirted demonstrators lined up to have their blood drawn by nurses, after their leaders vowed to collect ‘one million cubic centimeters’ of blood – the equivalent of 1,000 standard soft drink bottles.

The stunt has raised concerns among health officials who say it could easily spread diseases.

Security was tightened in Bangkok after two soldiers were wounded in a grenade attack. M-79 grenade launchers were used to fire four projectiles into an army base in the centre of the city.

The military said it did not think that pro-Thaksin supporters were involved in the attack.

Bangkok is now swamped with more than 50,000 troops and police as the demonstrators showed no sign of ending their protest which have now entered their third day.

Earlier, the Red Shirts withdrew from outside the army headquarters where they had besieged Prime Minister Abhisit and his government officials during the day, and returned to their main rally point in Bangkok’s historic quarter.

Earlier Abhisit, who heads a fragile six-party coalition, had made a nationally televised address to reject the demands of the Red Shirts.

“Elections must be held under common rules and genuine calm. We have to listen to other people’s voices, not just the protesters,” he said.