Thai protester leader shot dead

In Thailand a protest leader has been shot dead during clashes with police and others have been injured.

Elections have been called for February 2nd but the (mainly middle class) protesters want the government to step down so that they can install an unelected “people’s council” to reform the political system.

It remains unclear who fired today’s shots but protesters accuse the police of trying to intimidate them.

One protester, Ian Petsong, said: “When we turned the car, they shot us. Several times.”

The authorities announced that as a result of the unrest 45 out of 50 polling stations in Bangkok have been closed and early voting has also been disrupted in around 10 out of 76 provinces.

The opposition Democratic Party has vowed to boycott the elections and the protesters want to prevent them entirely because they say the government, which is expected to win, has been drumming up support amongst poor rural voters with irresponsible spending pledges.