The "Red Shirts" rally in Bangkok - Sunday 14 March 2010 (I)

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Today was billed as judgment day for Bangkok - or not as it turned out. The Red Shirts were aiming for nothing less than the overthrow of the government and for two days solid they had been rolling into town, setting Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva a noon deadline to dissolve Parliament. As it turned out, and with barely a whimper, that deadline was rolled over to Monday, and the red masses dug in for the long haul. Sweeping in from the north and sending the government scampering wasnt going to be as easy as they thought, fresh tactics will come into play.

By last night, when the Red Shirts held a mass rally at their congregation point on the Phan Fa Bridge their numbers were estimated to have swelled to around six figures, and still they kept coming, mostly down from the north, rolling in off the highway from Ayutthaya, pouring into the city and funneling into the symbolic vastness of Royal Plaza which has in a matter of 48 hour become a giant cark park. The cards were being laid down by the red leaders as opposition MPs nailed their colours to the mast of the revolution by turning up the rally the crowd and the sea of red responded, cheering every statement from the stage with boisterously singing and dancing as anti-government songs were played.

Developments through the day were moving fast, an array of events unfolding as this showdown gathered momentum. Taksin Shinawatra was now in Europe having been booted out of Dubai, rocket launchers had been seized by police from a garage in Ayutthaya, and an arrest warrant had been issued for one of the Red Shirts most wanted leaders.

Overnight the tension has been steadily mounting as the army, which had kept a very low key presence throughout Saturday was reported to have drafted thousands more troops in to help keep the peace, around 50,000 troops and police are reportedly waiting in the wings, while the Prime Minister appeared on national TV in the morning to address the nation and try to calm the situation. Saturday was a real party atmosphere all the way along Thanon Ratchadamnoen which the Red Shirts have appropriated, but everyone felt that events had the potential could turn nasty, and judging by the outcome of previous demonstrations in the city by this movement, the signs werent good. Hovering in the background were the 5,000 or so guards that the Red Shirts have brought with them and this militia looked ready and prepared for any eventuality.

Once again Sunday, the touted day of reckoning, was blazing hot, with temperatures nudging 40 degrees heat that makes it hard for anyone to have a revolution, and makes water supplies, needed to hydrate the masses constantly, a necessity. The Red Shirts supply chain would be an important cog in the days operation, which has included hundreds of portaloos and mobile bathrooms (they learnt from previous demonstrations that a lack of toilet facilities would make the crowd more likely to disperse), rows of shelters to shield the tens of thousands of demonstrators from the boiling sunshine, food and a network of P.A. systems to keep communications in perfect order. After two days there were rumours that funds could be running low.

There were more reports that more rocket launchers had been found, this time in Samut Prakhan, but when I arrived at Royal Plaza the carnival atmosphere of last night was carrying on unabated: the party was in full swing, the people were enjoying their moment. One speaker though tells the crowd that they will stay as long as necessary, although this doesnt receive quite the rapturous response that is expected, hinting that many of these people are geared up for their weekend in the city, but they have homes to get back to, and livelihoods to earn, come the start of the week.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• red
• shirts
• bangkok
• united
• democracy
• against
• dictatorship
• taksin
• shinawatra
• royal
• abhisit
• vejjajiva
• plaza
• ananda
• samakhom
• throne
• hall
• rama
• chulalongkorn
• siam
• jatuporn
• prompan
• ayutthaya
• victory
• monument
• wat
• ratchanatdaram
• thanon
• ratchawithi
• ratchadamnoen
• surachai
• danwattananusorn

[lovelovelove833]

Listen,why you are sarcastic,optimistic, have a bias towards these monks? They are on streets to help people not to kill. The Thai govt should not pull out tanks and military in full gears to shoot the Red Shirts. The Red Shirts, on the other hand, should not burn up govt's buildings, parliament, govt house and destroy red lights at intersections. They have made a lot of benefits to the nation,are praise-worthy. Non-violence is the best policy they advised govt and Red Shirts. It saved lives.

[lovelovelove833]

แม่ง"ไอ้เหี้ยอภส."โง่ บัดซบ"แม่งใช้กำลังทหาร"อาวุธสง­ครามกับเพื่อนคนไทย"ชาติ ศาสนา พระมหากษัตริย์"องค์เดียวกัน"มึ­งคิดอย่างไรวะ?ไอ้เหี้ย"หวงอำนา­จ"กอดเก้าอี้"เหมือนหมา หวงก้าง"หวงน้ำข้าว ในกะลา"ไอ้ควย"ฆ่าคนตาย91ศพ ที่ไม่พบศพ มึง"ลากขึ้นรถ"ขับหนี"ปิดบัง"หล­บซ่อน"อีกไม่รู้กี่พัน"ไอ้ฆาตกร­"มึง ต้องได้รับกรรม"แม่งยังทำ"ผู้ร้­ายปากแข็ง"ฆ่าคน อย่างเลือดเย็น"ไอ้พ่อแม่ ไม่สั่งสอน"ครู อาจารย์ไม่อบรม"OXFORDเหี้ย ไม่อาจสอนให้มึงเป็นคนดี"ไอ้แกะ­ดำ"มหา'ลัย"ผลิต แต่คนดี มารับใช้โลก"แม่งสำเร็จ"ปริญญาฆ­าตกร"ออกมา"ไอ้ค.

[daow1234]

2 มาตรฐานแค่นี้แหละเมืองไทย

[YangQi1]

ตอนกลับเมืองไทย ก็ช่วยบริจาคช่วยค่าอาหารเสือ้แ­ดง ทำไมคนดีต้องยอม ทำไมๆๆ

เราแค่เรียกร้องปชต แม่งหาว่าเป็น คอมมูนิส