Thai protesters block parliament

BANGKOK, Thailand – Thousands of anti-government protesters surrounded Thailand’s parliament today, forcing legislators to postpone a joint session, and more demonstrators rallied at other government offices in an action billed as their final bid to oust the administration.

Riot police barricaded parliament with metal barriers and stood guard inside the compound as the protesters, who call themselves the People’s Alliance for Democracy, marched on the building and blocked its gates from the outside.

The alliance has occupied the grounds of the nearby prime minister’s office for three months in an effort to topple the government, which they allege is the puppet of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

They accuse Thaksin, who was ousted by a 2006 military coup, of corruption and abuse of power. Thaksin is in exile, a fugitive from a two-year jail term imposed after he was convicted last month of violating a conflict of interest law.

House speaker Chai Chidchob called off the session because most members of parliament could not get into the building, said deputy speaker Samart Kaewmeechai.

But the move did little to appease protesters: “We won the first battle but we must stay here so they can’t reconvene,” a protest leader told the cheering crowd outside parliament.

Riot police armed with shields and batons were under orders to use “as little force as possible” and to try to avoid tear gas, said Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Suchart Maunkaew. He said police were not carrying guns.