Bangkok is expected to witness million-strong demonstrations aimed at pressuring the incumbent Thai authorities into resignation.

The Sunday-through-Wednesday protests are to be attended by the supporters of the ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and others to object to the 2006 military coup which toppled him.

The September 2006 uprising saw a military junta bloodlessly overthrowing Thaksin while he was abroad.

The demonstrations are hoped to plunge the capital into chaos, forcing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva into calling new elections.

“If the prime minister refuses to dissolve Parliament on Sunday, we will declare new measures. We are planning to march to key spots belonging to those in power,” said one protest leader, Jatuporn Prompan on Saturday, the Associated Press reported.

The Thai deputy prime minister warned of brewing violence in the capital as the dissidents were massing throughout the country on Friday.

Bangkok residents “should be on the lookout for violence but do not panic. There have been reports that targets would be government offices, not people’s homes,” Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban had said.

The orchestrators, though, insist that the rallies are to be peaceful.

Some 50,000 law enforcement agents, soldiers and other security personnel have been tasked with maintaining Bangkok’s order.

The protesters have now reached Bangkok, prompting the businesses to shut down, the authorities to shelve the social events and the usually snarled traffic to reduce, AP said.
[Press TV]