A man injured by an explosion calls out as he is helped to the ground after an explosive device went off during an anti-government protest march on Jan. 17, 2014 in Bangkok.
An explosive device that was thrown during a march in Bangkok on Friday wounded 36 anti-government protesters. One was seriously injured, Reuters reports.
Hospital officials told Reuters that dozens of protestors have been treated, though the official toll was reported by the Erawan Medical Center, which monitors the capital city’s hospitals. A protest spokesman said an explosive device was thrown into a vehicle driven by protesters, the Associated Press reports. Suthep Thaugsuban, a former government official who has become the leader of the anti-government movement, was reportedly unharmed by the blast.
The protesters are hoping to overthrow Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who they accuse of being corrupt. She has called for an election on Feb. 2. The current prime minister is the sister of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who the military booted out of office in 2006.
The demonstrations had been generally peaceful, though eight have been killed in small bouts of violence between police, protesters and those who support the government.
[Reuters]