Saturday, March 13, 2010

Red shirt protest in Bangkok of Saturday March 13

The live-bloggers of this tumultuous period in modern Thai history are among the world's most experienced.  Several of these bloggers -- veterans of previous demonstrations -- were on the streets of Bangkok Saturday.


MORE FROM FRIDAY MARCH 12 - continued from previous post


Forestmat, Demotix, Red shirts anti-government rally in Bangkok
(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....

John Le Fevre, Photojourn, Pattaya red-shirt rally March 12, 2010 (2 dozen photos) - "The images on this page are from the prayer ceremony and rally on March 12, 2010 in Pattaya, Thailand."
 SATURDAY MARCH 13

Nirmal Ghosh, Straights Times, Bangkok awaiting 'rural hordes'
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.
Richard Barrow, Thai-blogs.com, The Red Guard - Defender of the People (text, photos)
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.
Newley Purnell, Newley.com, Images from today's red shirt protests - "I snapped these at Victory Monument and at Rajadamnoen Rd. See my tweets for context."  (dozen photos)
Dozens of trucks full of cheering red shirts streaming past Victory Monument. Many onlookers stare. Some give thumbs up.
    Bangkok Pundit, AC, Reds descend on Bangkok: Live blog
    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.
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