Thailand's criminal court Friday approved to issue arrest warrants against three core leaders of anti-government protesters known as "red-shirts".

The three core leaders are Veera Musikapong, Nattawut Saikua and Jatuporn Prompan, Thai News Agency reported.

The latest move followed the criminal court's Thursday approval of issuance of arrest warrants against seven other leaders, who led the "red-shirts" to siege and storm the parliament compound on Wednesday to push the government to dissolve the lower house of parliament.

The "red-shirts" began a mass rally in the capital Bangkok Friday morning in defiance of a state of emergency decree imposed by the government Wednesday in the capital.