Thai ‘Red Shirts’ plan new Bangkok rally

THAILAND: Thailand’s red-shirted protesters, loyal to ousted Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, said they would hold a parade Saturday that would eclipse last week’s street events that drew 65,000 people.

The “Red Shirts” said that, to avoid any attempt to halt their action, they will not announce the parade’s route in advance and instead allow the assembled protesters to decide where to march.

“We ask all Red Shirt people to come here... and leaders will ask our people on what our next move will be,” Reds leader Nattawut Saikua told reporters at the main rally ground in the government quarter on Friday. “We have to make a move in order to show our power, because staying put would not be a forceful protest,” he said, adding that the street demonstrations which began on March 14 would remain peaceful.

Thaksin’s supporters were buoyed by last Saturday’s parade which saw a colourful convoy of trucks, cars and motorcycles snake through Bangkok’s teeming streets.

Nattawut said this weekend’s gathering would be bigger but, with grumbles emerging over disruption caused by the rallies, did not repeat organisers’ earlier promises to mount an event that would “shut down” Bangkok. AFP