BANGKOK (AP) – Tens of thousands of protesters are marching through central Bangkok, paralyzing traffic and facing off with police outside the prime minister's residence in their latest mass rally against Thailand's government.

The crowds of protesters Sunday split into more than a dozen groups, including the one outside Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's home. Yingluck was not inside at the time.

The rally comes a day after Thailand's main opposition Democrat Party announced it would boycott general elections called for Feb. 2, a move that appeared to have emboldened the protest movement after rallies that indicated its support was dwindling.

The Democrats' position reflects the stand taken by the protesters, who are demanding that Yingluck step down ahead of the elections. Yingluck called the polls in an effort to defuse the political crisis.