200 'red-shirts' clash with soldiers in Bangkok
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About 200 "red-shirts" protesters clashed with the army in front of the 1st Army Region headquarters in Bangkok around 1:00 p.m. Saturday before another scuffle was reported at Pleun Chit skytrain station between protesters and police.
The tension in Pleun Chit is easing as the red-shirts there claimed victory while there are another confrontation now between the two sides at Phan Fah Bridge, the "red-shirts" main rally site in Bangkok.
Local media reported about 10 soldiers were injured during the clash at the military base and another 5,000 soldiers have been deployed to reinforce the 1st Army Region.
The clash occurred as the "red-shirts" tried to storm into the Army base but were blocked by soldiers. The protesters hit the soldiers with sticks and bottles and the latter fought back with water cannons.
The live TV airing shows hundreds of soldiers form a defensive wall in front of the main gate to stop the protesters.
A group of "red-shirts" protesters moved from Phan Fah Bridge to the headquarters, to demand them to withdraw Bangkok and to protest against the arrest warrants against 24 "red-shirts" leaders, which were issued by the court earlier.
Earlier the day some "red-shirts" leaders alerted the protesters at 11:45 a.m. to get prepared for a possible crackdown by troops.
The leaders, including Wisa Khanthap, Kwanchai Praiphana and Phaichit Akksornnarong, told the protesters that they learnt that troops were heading to the Phan Fah rally site.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon after the Parliament House were temporarily stormed by the protesters.
The "red-shirts" have been staging a rolling rally in the capital city since March 12 in an effort to pressure Abhisit to dissolve the parliament and hold a snap election.
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