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Thai politics

Red Shirts to Rally Sat. at Rajaprasong Intersection

MCOT reports today:

Some 200,000 red shirt supporters are expected to join activities held by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) — the red shirt movement — to mark the second anniversary Saturday of the 2010 protest against the then Abhisit Vejjajiva administration, red shirt co-leader Jatuporn Prompan said on Thursday.

Mr Jatuporn, also a Pheu Thai MP, said a stage would be set up beneath the Chit Lom BTS Skytrain station for activities at Ratchaprasong, Bangkok’s prime business and shopping zone, to mark the second anniversary of the May 19 protest clampdown.

He said some 200,000 Red Shirt supporters are likely to join the event. Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will address the crowd via video link between 7 and 8pm and will praise those who lost their lives during the protest.

Elsewhere, The Nation says:

Thousands of protesters are to mark the secondanniversary Saturday of a crackdown on anti-government demonstrationsin central Bangkok, which left up to 102 people dead.

You will see about 100,000 people coming to Ratchaprasong Road inmemory of those who died,” Thida Tavornseth – chairwoman of theUnited Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), also known asthe red shirts – said Thursday.

And The Bangkok Post reports:

A total of 1,200 police will be deployed to ensure peace and order during the mass gathering of the red-shirts at Ratchaprasong intersection on Saturday, the second anniversary of the May 19 bloodshed, a police spokesman said.

100,000 red shirts? 200,000 red shirts?

Obviously, protest organizers worldwide are often likely to project a huge turnout for such events. It will be interesting to see how many UDD members — not to mention curious onlookers — show up on Sat.

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