Thai "red-shirts" win back PTV broadcasting after raid on Thaicom

Anti-government protesters vacated a Thai satellite station on Friday. After negotiating with police, they reached an agreement to put the People Channel back on the air.

Thai authorities had entered the station on Thursday saying it was inciting violence, and taking the People Channel channel off air.

The channel was set up and financed by Red Shirts sympathizers.

In response, thousands of protesters stormed the station, breaching an army cordon and demanding officials lift censorship over their TV channel.

The protesters held the compound for about three hours. They seized guns, batons, shields, bullets and tear-gas cannon from police and soldiers and displayed them at the satellite station.

The Red Shirts reportedly left the compound by evening, saying the broadcasts would resume.

In a brief television address Friday evening, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva accused the protesters of showing arrogance by their action. However, he did not explain why the government bowed to their demand that the TV channel be restored.