Red shirts occupy provincial halls

Kanyapak Maneechan, a leader of the hard-line Love Chiang Mai 51 group, and 500 red shirts arrived by motorcycle and car at almost 4pm. They tore down the metal and concrete barriers in front of the hall's gates by jerking them back and forth while 50 police stood by without trying to stop them.

After gaining entry to the compound, the red shirts gathered in front of the main hall and blasted the government for using force against their comrades in Bangkok.

Petchawat Watanapongsirikul, another Love Chiang Mai 51 leader, phoned in from the Bangkok rally, congratulating them for their success and telling them to wait for instructions from Bangkok to step up their campaign if officials try to crack down on protesters in the capital.

Deputy Chiang Mai Governor Pairoj Saengpoowong, Pol Maj-General Akadet Songworawit, deputy director of the Internal Security Operations Command, and local police were monitoring the situation at the hall.

Sources said the red shirts could enter the compound easily because police wanted to avoid clashes and their presence was weak, as many were deployed at other state premises.

The top officials negotiated with the red shirts, demanding that they not enter any building in the provincial centre.

Another group of 200 red shirts led by Suthep Saithong seized the state-run NBT TV network's Zone 3 office in Chiang Mai.

They threatened to destroy the station if officials cracked down on protesters in Bangkok.

A letter was handed to the station director asking him to ensure objective coverage of their activities and to let them present their side of the news.

Three companies of riot police have been dispatched to reinforce those at Chiang Mai Provincial Hall.

In the Northeast, some 600 red shirts broke into Udon Thani Provincial Hall after managing to rip down the front gates, while about 2,000 red shirts gathered outside Khon Kaen Provincial Hall in the evening.

The protesters in Udon Thani did not enter the buildings but gathered at the plaza in front of the hall.

Over 100 police and volunteers surrounded the compound, asking the red shirts to vacate it.

They hooked up People Channel so the protesters could see what was happening in Bangkok.

Some left the scene to join the rally in Bangkok as ordered by their leaders.

In Khon Kaen, the group's leader said they had no intention of seizing the provincial hall.

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