MORE FROM FRIDAY MARCH 12 - continued from previous post
(two dozen great photos)
...Riot police, and soldiers in riot gear are on almost all street corners in the immediate area of the demonstration. Traffic is light for a capital city, and so far the atmosphere amongst the red-shirts is lighthearted. Roads surrounding the demonstration areas are completely closed to traffic as of this afternoon....
- http://twitter.com/photo_journ
- John LeFevre was there live-blogging these events.
It is still too early to estimate numbers – a critical issue because many in the establishment have been saying the Red Shirts are losing steam. But given the upwards of 10,000 at Wang Noi and similar numbers elsewhere, and the fact that the UDD can muster about 20,000-30,000 in Bangkok alone as per government spokesman Dr Panitan Wattanayagorn’s own estimate, it seems the security forces’ projection of around 150,000 people will quite easily be met.
- Ghosh was there, live-blogging these past events in Bangkok.
A total of 5,000 red guards are believed to be deployed at the rally site in Bangkok and at 30 other locations in the area. This includes 200 mobile units on motorcycle. They will be providing protection to the red shirts at the rally and also intercepting anyone trying to make trouble. The red shirt leaders know that if there is any violence by a red shirt (or someone pretending to be a red shirt) then they will lose support.
- Richard Barrow was there, live-blogging these past events.
Dozens of trucks full of cheering red shirts streaming past Victory Monument. Many onlookers stare. Some give thumbs up.
- Two quick videos of yesterday’s red shirt protests
- https://twitter.com/newley
- Newley was there live-blogging these past events in Thailand.
It seems we are getting a wave of protesters in all directions. Many though, particularly who live 100-150 kms from Bangkok, will probably just travel to Bangkok tomorrow.
Despite statements by the army spokesman yesterday that vehicles with non-Bangkok license plates would not be allowed into Bangkok from what BP is seeing plenty of up-country red shirt vehicles in Bangkok.
Still difficult to estimate how many people are coming as most are still outside of Bangkok and are travelling in so many different convoys.
- http://twitter.com/bangkokpundit
- Bangkok Pundit lived-blogged these past events.
STAY UPDATED
- Google map of Rally Sites, Closed Roads and Danger zones
- Jot ASEAN blog lists the most recently updated Thailand blogs (most recent posts appearing at the top of the page).
- Red Shirt Rally & Latest News – March 2010 -links to blogs and twitter feeds
- Of course, ThereLive will be be posting further updates.
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