At Least 36 People Have Been Injured From A Bomb Blast At An Anti-Government Protest In Thailand’s Capital, Bangkok, On Friday

At least 36 people have been wounded from a bomb thrown at protesters during an anti-government rally led by protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, media reports said Friday.

The protest movement, which has claimed at least eight lives since it began in November to demand the exit of the nation’s controversial Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, was reported to be flagging until earlier this week when protests disrupted the operations of several ministries, the stock exchange and air-traffic control operations.

Friday's incident took place shortly after 1 p.m. local time (1 a.m. EST), BBC reported, citing a deputy national police spokesman. The attack possibly involved an explosive device, such as a grenade, being thrown from a building, the BBC report added.

"The bomb went off about 30m [100ft] from Suthep and then his bodyguards escorted him back to a rally stage," spokesman Akanat Promphan told AFP news agency, according to BBC.

The injury toll numbers came from the Erawan Medical Center, which monitors Bangkok hospitals, Reuters reported.

The anti-government protesters demand that Yingluck step down from power and make way for an unelected "people's council.” The prime minister, protesters claim, is influenced by her brother, Thaksin, who is a controversial figure in the country and lives in self-imposed exile to escape a prison term in a corruption case.

Yingluck, who currently heads an interim government, has called for elections on Feb. 2, but protesters are seeking her immediate exit and are boycotting the elections, according to reports.