Thailand's pro-government Red Shirts set to rally in support of beleaguered prime minister

BANGKOK – Supporters of Thailand's beleaguered prime minister are readying to hold a major rally on the outskirts of Bangkok.

The gathering Saturday is aimed at countering months of anti-government protests and an increasing spate of legal challenges that could bring down Yingluck Shinawatra's administration.

The last time pro-government "Red Shirts" gathered en masse at a stadium in the capital in November, shooting broke out nearby and five people were killed.

The Red Shirts have avoided rallying in Bangkok since then to avert bloodshed, and Saturday's rally is being held dozens of kilometers (miles) from downtown, on the western edge of the sprawling metropolis, for the same reason.

Thailand has been shaken by more than five months of anti-government, part of a political power struggle that has ground on for years.