Parliament protest called ’final showdown’

? Thousands of anti-government protesters surrounded Thailand’s Parliament today, forcing legislators to postpone a joint session, and more demonstrators rallied at other government offices in an action billed as their final bid to oust the administration.

Riot police barricaded Parliament with metal barriers and stood guard inside the compound as the protesters, who call themselves the People’s Alliance for Democracy, marched on the building and blocked its gates from the outside.

The protesters also cut electrical wires to create a blackout and many demonstrators carried masks and swimming goggles to protect against tear gas, which police have said they could use to maintain order.