Anti-government protesters donated their blood March 16 as part of a plan to splatter the Thai government headquarters in Bangkok in a symbolic sacrifice to press their demands for new elections.

Demonstrators lined up to have their blood drawn by nurses, a day after their leaders vowed to collect "1 million cubic centimeters" of blood — the equivalent of 1,000 standard soft drink bottles — and spill it at the gates of Government House.

As many as 100,000 "Red Shirt" protesters converged March 14 on the Thai capital to demand that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva agree to dissolve parliament by midday March 15. Abhisit, who had moved to a downtown Bangkok army base ahead of the mass protest, refused and blanketed the capital in tight security but said his government was open to listening to what else the protesters had to say.

Frustrated, the protest leaders announced the "blood sacrifice."

Weng Tojirakarn, a protest leader and doctor, said the plan would test Abhisit's conscience.

"Now that people have agreed to sacrifice their blood like this, how can he not make a sacrifice by dissolving the parliament?" Weng said.

The Red Shirts include supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and other activists who oppose the 2006 military coup that ousted him for alleged corruption and abuse of power. They believe Abhisit came to power illegitimately with the connivance of the military and other parts of the traditional ruling class who were alarmed by Thaksin's popularity.