Thai activists plan blood-painting protest

Protesters in Thailand announced a full weekend of anti-government activities starting with a massive procession through Bangkok followed by "blood painting," their latest shock tactic aimed at forcing new elections.

Thousands of Red Shirt protesters have descended on the capital to ask Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve Parliament and call fresh elections a demand he has repeatedly rejected.

The protesters are camped out in the historic heart of Bangkok, which will be the starting point of Saturday's march that will loop the capital and wind through Bangkok's central business district, organizers said.

"It will be a massive caravan," said Jatuporn Prompan, a leader from the movement formally known as the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.

"Protesters will travel around Bangkok on thousands of vehicles."

Protest leaders have increasingly portrayed the demonstrations that started last Sunday as a struggle between Thailand's impoverished, mainly rural masses and a Bangkok-based elite impervious to their plight.

The group largely consists of supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a 2006 military coup for alleged corruption, and pro-democracy activists who opposed the army takeover.

Protesters to create 'blood painting'

In an attempt to dramatize their demands, thousands of Red Shirts lined up Tuesday to donate blood to their cause.

Most of the blood was splattered at Abhisit's office, at the headquarters of his ruling party and at his private residence. Protest leaders said they have 15 jugs of blood left over and plan to use it to create a massive work of art.

"Artists and Red Shirts will be invited to partake in a blood painting," Jatuporn said.

They plan to unfurl a giant white cloth on which supporters will be invited to paint pictures, scrawl poems and express political statements.

"The theme of this artwork will be the history of the people's fight for democracy," Jatuporn said.

Abhisit said Thursday that the blood-spilling antics tested the limits of the law and were testing his patience. He reiterated the government's stance that the protests will be allowed to continue as long as they remain peaceful.

"Actions like drawing blood, pouring it and throwing strictly speaking are not all legal," Abhisit said, adding that protesters were also not allowed to block city streets and prevent government employees from entering their offices.

The size of the protest peaked Sunday at some 100,000 demonstrators, but has decreased by about half since then, local officials said.