Images Of How Peacefully Some Of The Reds Have Been Protesting

[WhingeingMoaners]

Can anyone tell me if it is ok to protest like this in your country (see attachments)? In the second picture, I wonder if you guys are thinking the same as me, that is, a foreign guy being punched in the face.

[britmaveric]

Don't know the context of the photo(s) - hard to say what provoked it or it was unprovoked.

[Thanh-BKK]

Oh well....

If i had my bluetooth thingy with me i could upload some 25 pics and a good 2 hours of video clips showing exactly the opposite..... my guess, 99.75% of the reds are indeed peaceful people, just a tiny fraction wants violence to occur - no different from the yellows there, it was precisely the same.

I went to their rally site at Rajprasong twice for the sole purpose of taking pictures, they even let me ride my motorbike right to the front of the stage, nobody in the crowd appeared angry or violent in any way, not even their security guys.

If it wasn't for their stupid leaders who are paid and commanded by Thaksin they would be just a friendly crowd of people, from my talks with some of them i know that a good many have no idea what exactly they are actually protesting for but all of them hope that whatever it is will make their life better.

I personally just can't stand the fact that this crowd of people is being mis-used by a few nutcases who do it for the money and their "dear leader" who is abroad and too scared to come back here in person.

I hope it will be over soon, that the ordinary protesters go back home, their leaders will rot in jail and Abhisit can finally get to do what a PM is supposed to do - run the country and start tackling the issues of those protesters, i am sure he would help them if given a chance.

Best regards.....

Thanh

(edit: typo)

Edited April 8, 2010 by Thanh-BKK

[LuckyFive8888]

not good at all...

SHAME!

[Ulysses G.]

Maybe he told them that he posts on Thai Visa.

[Jingthing]

Maybe he told them that he posts on Thai Visa.

:D dee ma.

I told you they were thugs. They are all smiley as long as you act like you agree with their brainwashing. Otherwise, watch out, here comes the angry mob.

[britmaveric]

Maybe he told them that he posts on Thai Visa.

:D dee ma.

I told you they were thugs. They are all smiley as long as you act like you agree with their brainwashing. Otherwise, watch out, here comes the angry mob.

[Slip]

Oh well....

If i had my bluetooth thingy with me i could upload some 25 pics and a good 2 hours of video clips showing exactly the opposite..... my guess, 99.75% of the reds are indeed peaceful people, just a tiny fraction wants violence to occur - no different from the yellows there, it was precisely the same.

I went to their rally site at Rajprasong twice for the sole purpose of taking pictures, they even let me ride my motorbike right to the front of the stage, nobody in the crowd appeared angry or violent in any way, not even their security guys.

If it wasn't for their stupid leaders who are paid and commanded by Thaksin they would be just a friendly crowd of people, from my talks with some of them i know that a good many have no idea what exactly they are actually protesting for but all of them hope that whatever it is will make their life better.

I personally just can't stand the fact that this crowd of people is being mis-used by a few nutcases who do it for the money and their "dear leader" who is abroad and too scared to come back here in person.

I hope it will be over soon, that the ordinary protesters go back home, their leaders will rot in jail and Abhisit can finally get to do what a PM is supposed to do - run the country and start tackling the issues of those protesters, i am sure he would help them if given a chance.

Best regards.....

Thanh

(edit: typo)

Yes- Hail Thanh; the TV voice of reason. There are some very bad reds, the same as there are some very bad yellows. Thailand's challenge is to get rid of the parasites and improve the lot of the ordinary man/woman. What I can't understand about the reds is their clinging on to Toxin. Without him, they might actually be able to effect some change.

[monkfish]

Probably the last Photo is the guy who drove his porche into the red shirts?

[steveromagnino]

of those 3 pics, the middle one I think was at ASEAN summit in Pattaya.

These were the so called 'fake red shirts' who stormed the premises, and this was one of several foreigners, who dared to provoke the red shirts by doing things like walking, eating breakfast asking who they where asking them to leave, that got their faces smashed in.

Apparently they were fake red shirts. Again at that time as with the parliament, Arisaman was the leader, and I think, but cannot confirm a couple of other relatively senior red shirters were there.

After this point, the blue shirts and a fair few Pattaya locals came by, a lot of them wanting to specifically pick a fight with the red shirts because they perceived it as a punch of outsider <deleted>&*kwads coming to their province. I know a few who showed up - totally on their own they had very very clear plans that they wanted these guys out and fast and some of the Pattaya guys, particularly from further south around Sattahip are ex Navy; the Navy are one of the truly loyal organisations who don't like to listen to Jakapop/Da Torpedo/Thaksin style double talk about certain subjects.

Apparently, this group of vigilantes are the same group who also were fighting the fake red shirts lead by Arisaman who alternates between being a fake red shirt (when he is inside) and a real red shirt (when he isn't).

I doubt the leaders instructed the 2,000 strong crowd to do a ton of damage (which they did) but that group, as with the group in Bangkok, went on a rampage, were out of control, and got cuaght up in the heat of the moment.

Of course, since they they have claimed to have been fake red shirts, but you'll note despite standing alongside them, riding in the same vehicles etc, that at no point have the genuine red shirts ever given up the fake red shirts who did the bad stuff even though they must have seen it happen as it was right next to them.

As happened with the PM's car.

I have friends in the rescue services, apparently there are quite a few incidents of voilence by red shirters against suspected yellow shirters; most of which go unreported. But again..in the scheme of things we are talking a few a month at most AFAIK that require medical care...not tons and tons. And it isn't specifically rally related - typical lower income group violence type stuff probably fueled by liquor and the usual.

YOu could see bottle throwing and so on on TV Sunday; this is much more peaceful than burning gas tankers or smashing faces in, but not entirely. I did find it amusing to see one of the red shirters up the front urging his mates to throw stuff and get in the soldier's faces, but he wore a full 750mm water bottle to the face, knocking off his glasses, as one of his mates further back must have been a bit soft and thrown in hard, but not hard enough; clonked him a beauty.

Naturally, the red shirt bottle throwers are also fake red shirts, right up until the bottle has left their hands. :-)

There are many that aren't thugs; that probably truly believe in what they think they are protesting about. I am unsure how many that is. There are many who aren't paid to be there. I would say definitely far more than half have absolutely no intention of violence or thuggery; they are obviously committing a crime now under the SOE but also many of them are actually guilty of trespass but the landlords (many are inside property boundaries) can't do anythign about it and can't stop them.

But the face covering motorcycle guys, the big gangs of men; the guys standing at the front blocking the road. You can be assured that if things turn not peaceful, these guys, some of them have the power to take some serious action. I had a chat to the ones at the Chitlom end; these guys are the kind that if you meet in a dark alley, you hope they stay peaceful, because all bets are off if they don't.

So it's like....we are completely peaceful, but provoke us, and we WILL kick your butt. Which is why the landlords are too scared to talk to them. Hence why they actually think they have the ability to force the landlords to open their premises to use the toilets. A bit like a biker gang riding into a bar, and asking for some drinks 'on the house' - are you brave enough not to give them?

So perhaps not entirely the same as Gandhi.

But to date, also not quite the same as Genghis either.

That's the genius of their plan. Create unrest and annoyance, but deny responsibility yet to their supporters, basically condone it. Makes it quite hard to fight them.

But for Bangkokians....most I think are quite happy to take some significant action now.

On a personal note, I might add I've had a bit worse than the woman in the first of the 3 shots, when I met some red shirters, who for no reason I can think of (although a few friends believed I might be on some dislike list or perhaps they thought I was someone else) basically came and assaulted me. But...that's 2 thugs. I don't hold that against the entire movement, but I refuse to state they were 'fake red shirters'

Edited April 8, 2010 by steveromagnino

[Livinginexile]

and the yellow shirts protested peacefully?

[TerryLH]

"What I can't understand about the reds is their clinging on to Toxin."

฿฿฿

"and the yellow shirts protested peacefully?"

This topic isn't about yellow shirts. To like or not like what someone is doing, you don't need to make a comparison. Bad acting by any color or political persuasion is still bad.

[WhingeingMoaners]

and the yellow shirts protested peacefully?

That does not mean it is justifiable for the Reds to behave like thuggish lowlives. Physically assaulting anybody is unacceptable and against the law and those who did that should be dealt with accordingly. I am not saying that all these Red shirts should be tarred with the same brush. But when protesters behave in an unacceptable manner - Reds or Yellows - they should be tackled according to the rule of law.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I'm not sure if I'm looking at bad acting.. without any background whatsoever, this is yet another meaningless post aiming to incite hatred. Put it on the pile.

Oh, and "Welcome to the Forum" to the OP I guess.

[britmaveric]

The Thai Bird in the first pic looks rather fetching!!

[flying]

Can anyone tell me if it is ok to protest like this in your country (see attachments)? In the second picture, I wonder if you guys are thinking the same as me, that is, a foreign guy being punched in the face.

Well yes it is not a good thing...Although punching the right foreigners would be an improvement many times

Seems this group here beat on cops a lot too....

Mueng Gun

[jdinasia]

Don't know the context of the photo(s) - hard to say what provoked it or it was unprovoked.

Brit ---- so stomping the guy on the ground is appropriate "if provoked"?

[britmaveric]

^well it is the thai way - ie kicking someone on the ground, normally multiple people.

[flying]

so stomping the guy on the ground is appropriate "if provoked"?

Only thing worse is stomping & beating with a stick/pipe eh?

[britmaveric]

Rebar/2X4 are normally weapons of choice for thai lads scrapping.

[whiterussian]

This is a friendly nose tweak

and breakdancing is making a comeback, even the cop is joining in...

you see worse most nights in the UK...

Edited April 8, 2010 by whiterussian

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Don't know the context of the photo(s) - hard to say what provoked it or it was unprovoked.

Brit ---- so stomping the guy on the ground is appropriate "if provoked"?

If he was the prick driving his Porsche into a crowd: yes. Without knowing the background we'll never know.

[IanForbes]

Anytime you have a group of people with emotional issues there is the possibility of violence. That is true anywhere in the world. I've seen serious riots in Canada after a hockey or football game. You know, Canada, that supposedly calm, rational country noted for its good behaviour. There are thugs hiding behind the screen of anonimity everywhere, and all it takes is a spark to bring them out of their creepy little hidey-holes. Photos of violence proof nothing other than there was a confrontation over something that none of us are privy to without being there.

[JetsetBkk]

Maybe he told them that he posts on Thai Visa.

:D dee ma.

I told you they were thugs. They are all smiley as long as you act like you agree with their brainwashing. Otherwise, watch out, here comes the angry mob.

The usual from jingthing.

[featography]

Don't know the context of the photo(s) - hard to say what provoked it or it was unprovoked.

Brit ---- so stomping the guy on the ground is appropriate "if provoked"?

well why else did they put him on the gound???

Maybe he was in desperate need of a good stompin

[hawthorne]

how hard is it to find a red shirt and cap pose as a bad guy get your pic made and present as you wish. Not saying one way or another but pictures and stories never ever tell the complete truth. I have been in places that reporters did not want to stay except to get a story and write it to make a deadline then leave. The do a little research and then visit for a day or say and write a story as if they are an expert on the matter. The truth is always 180 degree from the article.

No professing the truth of this situation in Thailand but I am sure the truth is only how the situation affects you personally. Who cares about the others. You have a family and yourself to be concerned about first.

Just enjoy the day and the moment life is too short

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello again.

I'll be off for Chiang Mai in a couple of hours..... here's a couple of photos i have taken myself around 9 am today at Rajprasong. They really don't look like top terrorists, do they?

And makes me wonder once again about the Thai people's ability to sleep just about in any position and in any noise level - those two were about 10 meters from a huge loudspeaker tower that was blaring at ear-shattering volume all the time.

Sadly right now the "war" has already started, reds are storming Thaicom, using molotov cocktails, and looks like they are winning - for now, because they out-number the army/police there by about 10:1. However i don't think that will stay that way.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[ilovemangos]

Oh well....

If i had my bluetooth thingy with me i could upload some 25 pics and a good 2 hours of video clips showing exactly the opposite..... my guess, 99.75% of the reds are indeed peaceful people, just a tiny fraction wants violence to occur - no different from the yellows there, it was precisely the same.

I went to their rally site at Rajprasong twice for the sole purpose of taking pictures, they even let me ride my motorbike right to the front of the stage, nobody in the crowd appeared angry or violent in any way, not even their security guys.

If it wasn't for their stupid leaders who are paid and commanded by Thaksin they would be just a friendly crowd of people, from my talks with some of them i know that a good many have no idea what exactly they are actually protesting for but all of them hope that whatever it is will make their life better.

I personally just can't stand the fact that this crowd of people is being mis-used by a few nutcases who do it for the money and their "dear leader" who is abroad and too scared to come back here in person.

I hope it will be over soon, that the ordinary protesters go back home, their leaders will rot in jail and Abhisit can finally get to do what a PM is supposed to do - run the country and start tackling the issues of those protesters, i am sure he would help them if given a chance.

Best regards.....

Thanh

(edit: typo)

thanks for telling the truth

[steveromagnino]

Don't know the context of the photo(s) - hard to say what provoked it or it was unprovoked.

Brit ---- so stomping the guy on the ground is appropriate "if provoked"?

If he was the prick driving his Porsche into a crowd: yes. Without knowing the background we'll never know.

As I am somewhat aware of the facts of the porsche case verified by people who observed the entire stream of events, as I understand it will be presented with witnesses regarding insurance or court cases as this which a court will be likely to accept as fact given the lack of conflicting views from reliable eye witnesses.

1. The owner was in a car driving towards intercon, and wanting to make a right turn into the hotel

2. He was stuck approximately 50-100m away from the hotel for 2 hours with traffic not moving

3. As the lane of oncoming traffic was only with people, having waited 2 hours, he pulled over into the line of people and gently edged forward the remaining 50m approx, and people allowed him to drive through

4. At the point of then wishing to turn into the intercon driveway, the motorcycles parked on the roadside prevented him from driving through - not people - bikes

5. He foolishly revved his engine, hoping that they would understand he just wanted to pass a single line of parked bikes to enter the hotel. The owners of the bikes did not respond but rather appeared to take this as a threat, and started banging on his car and surrounding him

6. He then drove forward as he felt physically under threat, knocking a bike and then was surrounded and basically the car had the crap bashed out of it

At no point was anyone hit or did he drive into people. To get to that point, in fact he was actually driving through pedestrians at a very slow speed, exactly as we see cars driving down, now where is somewhere we can all relate, er, ok, Soi Cowboy (ok ok Sunee Plaza for the more adventurous).

His actions are technically a breach of traffic law; the illegally parked vehicles were in his way, but they were, in legal terms, there to be seen and he hit one or more of them at low speed.

Subsequent actions of the mob were anything but peaceful and are also a breach of law being both assault and vandalism. I doubt the red leaders will give up the doers.

This was used as a political statement by the reds - ironic being that the intercon is where the leaders were staying while their underlings sleep on the road.

[TheItaliann]

where did the yellow shirt leaders sleep?