Two injured in grenade attack at PAD rally

An assailant hurled a home-made fire bomb at the back of the rally stage of the People's Alliance for Democracy late Tuesday night, injuring two men, police said.

The explosion occurred at 10.30pm, prompting several senior police officers to rush to the demonstration site at the Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge on Rajdamnone Road.

Inspecting the scene were Deputy Police Commissioner General Pol Gen Phanupong Singhara na Ayutthaya, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Jakthip Chaijinda, Metropolitan Police Division 1 Commander Poj Maj Gen Wichai Sangpraphai and bomb disposal officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

The two injured men were identified as Nupan Phuthongnern, 56, from Udon Thani and Phaithoon Wisetsri, 57.

Nupan, an ice cream vendor, was severely injured as the impact smashed his right leg bone, causing massive bleeding. Both men were rushed to the Vatchara Hospital.

The blast damaged a motorcycle of a demonstrator, Prakarn Prasopchoke, 28, and the ice cream cart of Nupan.

Police found a safety pin of M26 about 10 metres away on the other side of the bridge next to Krung Kasem Road.

Prasopchoke said he parked his motorcycle to join the rally for just 15 minutes before he heard the explosion from the direction where he parked his bike. He rushed back to see his bike and the ice cream cart catching fire. Protesters quickly extinguished the fire and alerted police to inspect the scene.

Wichai, the Metropolitan Police Division 1 chief, said witnesses saw a suspect riding a motorcycle to the bridge and lobbed the grenade before fleeing to the direction of Thewakam Intersection.

When police were inspecting the scene, PAD co-leader Chamlong Srimuang came out to talk to the police officers. He criticized the police for failing to keep security at the rally site.

Chamlong spoke on the stage Wednesday morning, calling on police to provide security for the yellow-shirt demonstrators, saying they were rallying to defend Thai territory.

Shortly after the blast, Suwit Nualmanee, a PAD spokesman, informed the demonstrators of the incident, urging them to go on campaigning for the people to cast "no-voting" ballot.

He said the explosion would not be able to stop the PAD from campaigning against the election.

The PAD's campaigns for voters to say no to the election by marking the "no-voting" slot on ballot papers faded out from public attention since the first day of candidacy registration.

The PAD's campaigns came under the spot light again following the explosion.