Thousands of supporters of ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra held their first anti-government rally today since their protests earlier this month turned violent and were forcibly stopped by the army, according to AP. The protest at Sanam Luang, an open field near Bangkok's Grand Palace, drew roughly 5,000 people at its peak, the number predicted by organizers but far short of the estimated 100,000 who turned out for a street rally earlier this month. Many of the demonstrators wore their movement's signature red shirts. Protest leader Somyos Prueksakasemsuk said the demonstrators were urging the government to «stop intimidation» of their movement and were showing that «the divide in the country remains.» Speaking later from a small stage, he accused the government of wanting «reconciliation that will make people surrender to be their slaves.» The protest was called Friday just hours after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva lifted a state of emergency imposed to deal with rioting by the red shirts, who forced the suspension of a regional summit hosted by Thailand. Two people were killed and more than 130 injured in the riots.
