13/01/2014 11:05
Thailand crisis: Protesters begin Bangkok 'shutdown'
Protesters have begun blocking roads in parts of the Thai capital, Bangkok, in a bid to oust the government before snap elections on 2 February, the BBC reported.
The protesters are building barricades and occupying key road junctions.
The government has deployed 18,000 security personnel to maintain order.
The protesters, who began their campaign in November, want to replace the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra with an unelected "People's Council."
They say Ms Yingluck is a proxy for her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the military in 2006 and is currently in self-imposed exile.
Protesters allege populist policies from Thaksin-allied parties have created a flawed democracy.
Thaksin-allied parties draw considerable support from rural voters and have won the last four elections. The main opposition party is now boycotting the 2 February polls.
At least eight people have been killed since the protests began late last year. On Saturday, at least seven people were injured when unknown gunmen opened fire on demonstrators at the main rally site in Bangkok.
On Sunday night, an unidentified gunman attacked demonstrators at a protest site, shooting at least one man, officials said.
Police said a gunman also fired shots at the opposition party headquarters in a separate incident, although no casualties were reported.