Police detain protesters trying to seize state TV station

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-26 09:51

BANGKOK -- Thai Police detained over 20 anti-government protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy ( PAD) who tried to seize a state TV station in Bangkok.

The protesters were detained after they broke into the state-run National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) office on Tuesday by breaking a glass door of the office building, using some weapons later seized by police.

The attempt took place at about 5.30 a.m. Tuesday (2230 GMT Monday), when there are a few NBT staffs at that moment.

The NBT reported in a breaking news program some half an hour later that police found a pistol and knives, from the group. Pictures later also showed golf clubs and slingshots among the seized articles.

The group got into the station in separate groups and told NBT staffs to leave the office.

The detained are still under interrogation. Police brought the protesters who had weapons to a police station while searching for protesters who might hide in the office.

The protesters are from PAD, a political opponents against the government led by Prime Minister Samak Sundaradej which has launched continuous rallies since May 25 in central Bangkok to pressure the Samak administration, which the PAD has called a " proxy" of the coup-ousted Prime-Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to step down.

The PAD is planning a mass protest at the Government House in central Bangkok on Tuesday as a a showdown in their attempts to topple the six-month-old coalition government.

Some protesters have arrived at the Government House by press time. Local media reported that the Government officials were told to leave the office.