Thai riot police scuffled with demonstrators barricaded in the prime minister's compound today as they delivered an eviction order against the group seeking to oust the government.
Police with batons and shields posted the court order on lampposts and iron gates in the compound occupied by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in a four-day standoff.
Police briefly detained at least 15 protesters and took up positions around the PAD-controlled area, but they did not move to evict the 4,000-strong crowd.
Witnesses said teargas was fired, but police denied it.
A police spokesman said they only intended to help court officials deliver the eviction order. "We are trying to deal with the protesters as gently as possible. We are persuading them to leave the compound and will not do anything to those who follow the court order," he told reporters.
Anti-government protests forced two airports to close and disrupted rail services in Thailand today, piling further pressure on prime minister Samak Sundaravej's seven-month old government.
The protesters say they will not leave until Mr Samak's government resigns
The PAD, whose 2005 protests against then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra contributed to his removal in a coup a year later, urged their supporters to gather at the compound until the current elected administration fell.
"Move in and circle around me. We can't let them seize our stage too easily," retired general and PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang told the cheering crowd.
Nine PAD leaders have been charged with insurrection, a crime that can carry the death penalty, after violent raids on government offices and a state TV station on Monday.
The group of businessmen, academics and activists began the street campaign on May 25th, accusing Mr Samak's coalition government of being an illegitimate proxy of Mr Thaksin, now in exile in London.
They have barricaded themselves in the 11-acre compound behind razor wire and car tyres, with sentries armed with bars and golf clubs to repel the police.
Reuters