Police Fear Violence Today

[Flashermac]

Clashes are expected today as thousands of government supporters and protesters convene in Bangkok for rival gatherings, as former Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban announced yesterday that different groups were getting together to "root out the Thaksin regime".

 

At the Democracy Monument protest site, Suthep ushered a group of academics, representatives of labour unions from state enterprises, members of the Silom business community, political activists among others to stage in front of thousands of cheering protesters.

 

The group on stage also included leaders of the People's Army to Overthrow the Thaksin Regime and the Network of People and Students for Thailand's Reform, who have been holding separate rallies in Bangkok to voice their opposition to the government-backed controversial amnesty bill and the so-called Thaksin regime.

 

The move came on the eve of a so-called "million-man march" planned today by Suthep and other protest leaders.

 

However, police said they only expected about 70,000 people to show up.

 

Pol Maj-General Piya Uthayo, spokesperson for the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order, however, said that there may be attempts to spark violence between the two groups of protesters.

 

Piya said 40 teams of rapid-response police officers had been set up to deal with the situation tomorrow. Police will also be patrolling nine key spots around the capital more frequently, he said, adding that security personnel had three objectives: ensuring the safety of demonstrators, the general public and facilitating traffic flow.

 

Meanwhile, red-shirt leaders have called on supporters to gather at Rajamangala Stadium from today in order to deal with what is expected to be a massive gathering of anti-government protesters tomorrow. The protesters are expected to split into 12 groups around Bangkok.

 

Red-shirt co-leader Jatuporn Promphan told the press yesterday that this decision was made in order to bring red-shirt supporters to the capital from upcountry so as to protected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's elected government. He acknowledged that the anti-government protesters will increase in numbers today and hence, red shirts should be ready to descend on Bangkok today for a prolonged fight as the other group was already closing in on Government House. "We're not going to let Suthep take over Thailand," he said.

 

Separately, chairperson of the red-shirt Democratic Alliance against Democracy, Thida Thawornseth, called on vocational students to abandon the Democrat party-led protest, saying that the former Abhist Vejjajiva-led government never supported vocational schools and in fact, wanted to shut them down. She said it was time for the students to choose between backward conservative forces and progressive democratic ones.

 

Anurat Thinwad, chairman of the Isaan red-shirt sector, said 30,000 people were ready to descend on the capital no later than 2pm today. Red-shirt leaders from Pathum Thani said yesterday that they would be bringing more than 10,000 people to Rajamangala Stadium today.

 

The Chiang Mai 51 group had readied 150 buses last night to bring red-shirt protesters to Bangkok today. They also protested against the Constitutional Court ruling on Wednesday by burning a coffin.

 

Meanwhile, the anti-government STR group has moved closer toward the Government House and is now occupying the Nang Lerng intersection, which is just a few minutes by foot from the prime minister's office. They were told by a senior police officer that they were violating the Internal Security Act and could face a year in prison and/or a fine of Bt20,000. The officer, who was booed away by the crowds, later returned to present a letter of warning to the protest leader.

 

 

http://www.nationmul...y-30220413.html

[Flashermac]

7 roads now closed due to protests

 

 

Two more roads were closed to traffic on Sunday because of the growing number of anti-government protesters at Phan Fa intersection, Traffic Police commander Pol Maj Gen Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek said.

 

They are Lan Luang road between Lan Luang and Phan Fa intersections and Mahachai Road between Mahakan and Samranrat intersections.

 

These are in addition to five other roads which were closed earlier. They are Ratchadamnoen Avenue from Democracy Monument to Phan Fa and Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge; Nakhon Sawan Road between Thewakan and Nang Lerng intersections; Si Ayutthaya Road between Wat Benjamabopit and Phol 1 intersections; Phitsanulok Road between Yommarat and Wang Daeng intersections; and Phra Ram 5 Road between Wat Benjamabopit and Panich intersections.

 

Pol Maj Gen Jirasan said Ratchawithi Road from Karn Ruan intersection to Ratchawithi intersection is still open to traffic.

 

He expected traffic in inner Bangkok to become congested from 2pm.

 

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/381468/7-roads-now-closed-due-to-protests

[StoneSoup]

Well, looking at this overhead video clip of the anti-government mob at the Democracy monument this afternoon, I would have to say that the Red Shirts might want to think twice about trying to intimidate this crowd:

 

 

 

 

You can watch live at: http://www.blueskychannel.tv/

 

Cheers!

SS

[Flashermac]

100 vehicles hit by spikes on way to Bangkok

 

 

Some 100 vehicles had their tyres blown by spikes dispersed on the Bangkokbound lanes of Phetchkasem Highway in Prachuap Khiri Khan on Saturday night.

 

Suwiwat Promma, deputy director of the Huay Mongkol Highway Rescue Patrol, said many of the spikes were found in Bangkok.

 

The damaged cars could have plunged into the roadside canal or crashed into trees and killed a lot of people.

 

By morning, police had recorded at least 100 cars whose tyres had been punctured by the spikes.

 

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/100-vehicles-hit-by-spikes-on-way-to-Bangkok-30220456.html

[WorldFun]

indeed a serious crowd this evening at democrazy memoument. took me some 3 hours to get there (cheaply) to get my dirty hands on the free foods & drinks (sorry guys it does not include condom beers) & about 90min to get back home (not cheap)!

now whether there were 100k, 200k or even 500k or a cool M I have no clue, but no where did I see anything than peace & some kind of genuine wish to end the tyranny of the 1 man (abroad).

 

so when a female taxi driver insists to use the meter & rather drive without a fare than with a red shirt (gang of red shirts) well it does say a thing or handful of how intimidating indeed that deep color is even if for now numbers are a minority...

 

good luck thailand these coming days

[Flashermac]

Huge marches in city today

 

 

BANGKOK faces paralysis today as huge crowds of anti-government protesters set out on symbolic marches across the capital in a move that protest leaders are calling an attempt to overthrow the so-called "Thaksin Shinawatra regime".

 

The enormous crowd that packed Democracy Monument and nearby areas yesterday looks set to enable the Democrat Party and its allies, which are leading the joint protests, to come up with various measures today - starting at 8.30am - to put pressure on the Pheu Thai-led coalition government. Their aim is initially to shut down, and eventually end, the so-called Thaksin regime.

 

The protesters yesterday crowded on to inner Rajdamnoen Avenue, spilling over into adjacent areas and blocking major roads, including Lan Luang Road, the Nang Lerng area and Khok Wua Intersection. Even Sanam Luang and nearby Pin Klao Bridge saw large numbers of protesters.

 

Two key groups of anti-government protesters are expected to move across the capital today. One group will march to block access to Government House and Parliament, while the other will pressure government agencies, a high-ranking protest source said yesterday.

 

The Students and People's Network for Thailand's Reform (STR) and the People's Army to Overthrow the Thaksin Regime - known for their hardline stances - will lead protesters to converge at eight key locations in central areas. At the same time, former Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban will lead a second group of marchers to 12 other locations - including the government civil-service complex on Chaeng Watthana Road - to call on officials to engage in acts of civil disobedience.

 

The Suthep-led march will no doubt cause temporary traffic congestion today. However, the blockade of Government House and Parliament are likely to have longer-lasting effects, as the Democrat-led protesters will attempt to prevent the no-confidence debate, which begins tomorrow, the source said.

 

Political deadlock is expected to hit the Yingluck government if the Parliament is blockaded; such an action would render the announcement of a last-resort House dissolution impossible. The Constitution bars a government from dissolving the House once a no-confidence motion has been accepted, pending a debate.

 

This possibility yesterday prompted a government operations centre, headed by Labour Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, to urgently seek an alternative venue for tomorrow's censure debate.

 

The centre has recommended protection of strategic locations, at the highest level, to deter any attempts to blockade them, but it is doubtful whether police would be able to stop crowds, which outnumber them, from doing so. The strategic sites include Government House and both airports. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra reportedly told police that she wanted to hold the Cabinet meeting at Government House, as no alternative locations had been found.

 

Estimates of the number of protesters yesterday varied, with security sources citing a figure of around 100,000 and a spokesman for the Democracy Monument rally putting the number at 440,000 in the late afternoon with more expected in the evening.

 

Protesters who travelled to Bangkok from the provinces yesterday were camped out last night along Rajdamnoen Avenue under large tents. The crowds, which have also spilled over onto Pin Klao Bridge, are also blocking many connecting roads on both the Bangkok and Thon Buri sides of the river, causing severe gridlock.

 

The pro-Thaksin red-shirts gathered yesterday at Rajamangala Stadium in the Hua Mak area - a considerable distance from the anti-government protests - with the rally scheduled to start at 6pm. As of 8.30pm, red-shirt leaders claimed 60,000 people had converged there.

 

Red-shirt leader Yoswarit Chooklom, aka Jeng Dokjik, said protesters were prepared to stay for at least five days.

 

However, they said the situation would be evaluated on a daily basis - citing concerns about government stability as the reason.

 

In addition to Bangkok residents, the red-shirt movement is made up of a number of factions from the provinces, including Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Chon Buri, Rayong and Nakhon Ratchasima.

 

War rooms set up at the Supreme Command are monitoring the protests on Rajdamnoen Avenue around the clock, a military source said.

 

The source said military leaders feared that the protests would escalate out of control because the number of people gathered was so large. Suthep might be unable to control the situation, the source, said, citing a concern reportedly expressed by Yingluck.

 

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Huge-marches-in-city-today-30220484.html

[Flashermac]

Thaksin is going to have an interesting place in history, one man's whose ego has brought the country to this.

[cavanami]

...like Mr. T will take responsibility for anything 555555555555555555555555555555

[Boo Radley]

Looks like German freelance photographer Nick Nostitz was attacked at the demonstration yesterday after anti government protest leader Chumphon Jumsai singled him out via loudspeaker as a red reporter and told the guards to remove him. He was surrounded by several men and punched in the face before escaping.

He later filed charges at Dusit police station, against Jumsai for the assault.

http://www.fm91bkk.c...3/5839-------1-

http://breakingnews....237&lang=T&cat=

[dashiling]

Thanks for news, Best i've found on the internets.