Thailand's “red shirt” protesters congregated in their thousands at an upmarket Bangkok shopping district on Wednesday, preparing a “final battleground” in their campaign to oust army-backed Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. About 20,000 had gathered in the commercial heart of the city by early evening as the prospect of further impasse looked set to hit growth in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy after clashes on Saturday killed at least 22 in Thailand's bloodiest political violence since 1992. “We will use the Rachaprasong area as the final battleground to oust the government,” protest leader Nattawut Saikua told reporters on Wednesday, referring to the hotel and shopping district a couple of blocks from Bangkok's financial area. “There will be no more negotiations.” The red shirts, who have vowed “final” days of reckoning before, want Abhisit to quit office and dissolve parliament ahead of new elections. They were fast leaving a protest site close to Saturday's clashes to consolidate at Rachaprasong, which they have occupied for the past 10 days. Red shirts and their vehicles spilled over a few blocks around the intersection. Some were setting up tents at another junction next to the business district on Silom Road. “We are staying here until this government is gone,” said Ratchada Pumsin, a 46-year-old housewife from the outskirts of Bangkok. “I think our chance of winning is high.” Facebook protest At Victory Monument several kilometres away, more than 1,000 counter-protesters gathered calling for peace and showing support for the government, raising the risk of a potential clash. Some were carrying pictures of the country's revered monarch and waving Thai and royal flags. “We met on Facebook and we agree the red shirts need to go because they are causing trouble for Bangkok. We want to show that they are not the only ones with political rights,” said a female participant who asked not to be named. “We hope our movement will be a catalyst for change for the better.”
