Thailand’s anti-government red shirt protesters began gathering here in Bangkok today. All in all, it was a surprisingly quiet day.
The demonstrations, as we know, are expected to culminate with — red shirts say — a protest comprising one million participants on Sun., March 14. Many observers, however, doubt that the reds will be able to muster such a large showing.
Many people here in Bangkok expected the day to be chaotic. Businesses closed early. Schools cancelled classes. And while there were small demonstrations in some parts of city, it was largely a day like any other in central Bangkok.
But more and more demonstrators are expected to begin arriving in Bangkok tomorrow (Sat. the 13th).
This Bangkok Post story summarizes the day’s events. And the Nation has some images here. For some analysis, there’s this story from Reuters. And here’s some context from AP. Meanwhile, Global Voices has this extensive post with background info and links to several online resources.
Stay tuned…
(Image source: Bangkok Post.)