Protesters storm Bangkok TV station

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Hundreds of anti-government protesters stormed a state-run television station in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday as others rallied outside government buildings, including the offices of Thailand's prime minister.

Demonstrators gather outside Thailand's Government House during a rally on August 26 in Bangkok.

The protests were the latest by the People's Alliance for Democracy, a coalition that demands the removal of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government from office.

The demonstrators, armed with guns and knives, briefly shut down the NBT television's programming before police arrested 80 of them, the Thai News Agency reported.

Protesters also rallied outside the ministries of finance and agriculture. Others blocked the entrance to the main Government House to prevent ministers from attending a weekly cabinet meeting, the news agency said.

The People's Alliance for Democracy says Samak's administration is a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 and fled to England.

He returned to Thailand after Samak came to power in parliamentary elections in December. Thaksin fled again this month just as he was to appear in court in a corruption case.

The alliance contends that Samak is trying to amend the constitution so that Thaksin does not have to face the charges.

It also blames the government for not trying to extradite the former prime minister. Samak has refused to step down. The alliance has vowed to continue its protests

According to www.cnn.com