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Thousands Of Thai Protesters March In Bangkok

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waerth

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http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_29/Thousands-of-Thai-anti-government-protesters-march-in-Bangkok-2463/

 

Thousands of Thai anti-government protesters march in Bangkok

 

BANGKOK: -- Thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Bangkok Saturday demanding political reforms before the next general election is held. Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister who now heads the People's Democratic Reform Committee, led supporters from their base at Lumpini Park in central Bangkok toward the Royal Plaza, near Parliament.

 

"We want to show the government that the people don't want them anymore," Suthep said. "We don't expect today's march to affect the government, but we want them to know the people have had enough."

 

The protests against the government of caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra began in early November to force her and her cabinet to resign, after it attempted to ram through a general amnesty that would have benefited her fugitive elder brother.

 

The movement's main goal is to oust what they call the "Thaksin regime," a reference to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist politician who has dominated Thai politics for more than a decade, including from his self-exile to avoid a prison sentence.

 

Suthep, a former secretary general of the opposition Democrat Party, resigned his parliament seat to lead the demonstrations in the hope of forcing reforms before any new election. Thaksin-led parties have won every general election since 2001, and would have won the snap polls held on February 2 but the voting was annulled by a Constitutional Court ruling on March 21.

 

That election was disrupted by protesters, rendering the outcome incomplete. A new date has not yet been set. Suthep has vowed to disrupt future polls unless his demands for reforms are first met. The PDRC, which at its peak drew hundreds of thousands in Bangkok, has seen a steady attrition of followers since violent attacks on its rallies last month that killed 12 people including four children.

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waerth Apprentice

waerth

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Several parts of procession still wait in Lumpin Park

 

 

March 29, 2014 11:01 am

Blue Sky Channel reported at 11 am that although the front part of the procession reached Mah Boon Krong shopping mall, several parts were still waiting at the Lumpini Park.

 

The Nation

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waerth Apprentice

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Richard Barrow â€@191Thailand 1m

11:45pm BTS Phaya Thai - RT @RujTH: BTS พà¸à¸²à¹„ท pic.twitter.com/6cjRxkurvC

 

I love this post on Thaivisa which is an answer to a Thaksin fan claiming there are only 2-3000 on the streets:

 

 

You mean the 20 million of which around 50% voted NO, and the rest were a couple of million for assorted parties and 8 million buffalos for the PTP.

 

The ones obstructed were not PTP strongholds and I think the 2% in some provinces that turned out in the re-runs says it all really.

 

The real majority are speaking.

 

Not the 8 million MINORITY!!!!!!!!!

 

The other 40 MILLION VOTERS!

 

Well over a million on the streets, and the rest voted with their feet.

 

Of the 40 million in un-obstucted areas, 20 million did not even bother to vote. 10 million who did voted NO and the other 8 million who didn't get the chance to vote would be pretty much all NO votes, and not a single vote would have been PTPO anyway.

 

So stick that in your pipe and smoke it pal.

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waerth Apprentice

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PDRCs-mass-rally-as-it-unfolds-30230411.html

 

PDRC's mass rally as it unfolds

 

The People's Democratic Reform committee led by Suthep Thaugsuban stages a march from Lumpini Park to the Royal Plaza and Parliament Saturday to affirm its stand that reform must be done before the next election.

 

Here how the event unfolds:

 

8:30 am: Leaders on the rally stage of the People's Democratic Reform Committee inside the Lumpini Park start organising protesters in to groups for the march.

 

9:40 am: Suthep Thaugsuban and his wife, Srisakul Promphan, arrive at the King Rama VI statue in front of the Lumpini Park.

 

9:47 am: Suthep and his wife pay respect to King Rama VI statue. Leaders urge protesters in front of the park start marching.

 

10:00 am: Suthep starts leading the main procession of protesters. The procession is divided into six groups.

 

10:23 am: Suthep's procession reaches the Rajprasong Intersection. Scenes from the Blue Sky channel show people crowd the intersection and the pedestrian flyovers around the area.

 

10:30 am: Suthep expresses his belief more than one million people have come out or will later join the mass rally.

 

10:37 am: Suthep's procession passes the front of Siam Paragon Shopping Mall. Scenes from Blue Sky Channel show all areas in front of the mall and all pedestrian flyovers occupied with people waiting to cheer Suthep.

 

10:42 am: Suthep's procession reaches Siam Square.

 

10:52am: The procession led by Suthep converges a procession of the Chulalongkorn University's community in front of the Mah Boon Krong shopping centre.

 

11:00 am: Seree Wongmontha, leader of the fifth part of the procession, asks why the procession has not moved. Seree's part is still struck outside Lumpini Park. He fears the protesters would leave the procession if it stops for too long.

 

11:40 am: Satit Wongnongtaey announces on the sound truck leading the procession that the last part of the procession has not yet left the Lumpini Park. He urges the protesters at the front to walk faster.

 

11:15am: Blue Sky reports that the last part of the procession has just reached the Chulalongkorn Hospital.

 

11:16 am: Suthep walks past BTS's Rajthevi station.

 

11:23am: The sound truck of Satit reaches the BTS Phayathai station. People along the sidewalks hand out refrigerated drinking water to marchers.

 

11:29 am: Suthep is reaching the BTS Phayathai station. The spokeswoman says the procession is moving slow because a lot demonstrators walk in front of the sound truck.

 

11:42 am: People brace the blazing sun to stand on sidewalks to welcome Suthep at the Phayathai Intersection.

 

11:45 am: PDRC spokesman spokesman Akanat Promphan says his mother, Srisakul Promphan who is Suthep's wife, fell behind the procession as she could not catch up with him. Srisakul earlier said she might join the march.

 

11:49 am: Suthep's part of the procession reaches Santirat Pittayalai School.

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Flashermac Rookie

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The Nation is running a progess report as it moves. Looks like quite a success. The streets are packed and lined with spectators just as much as in November. Anchalee is marching with Suthep and talking the whole time. :)

 

 

post-98-0-03781000-1396069206_thumb.jpg

 

p.s. Expect more frantic red shirt violence to follow. Have to "protect" democracy from the people. :(

 

Live coverage:

 

http://www.tvjaa.com...skychannel.html

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Flashermac Rookie

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Crowds of watchers with many donating money to support the protests. Doesn't look much different from the early massively supported marches. Even the Thai Chamber of Commerce has now said the government should resign. Don't expect it to happen though.

 

p.s. I've got to get my camera fixed! :(

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