Abhisit Calls Government To Task Over White-Mask Protests

[webfact]

POLITICS
Abhisit calls government to task over white-mask protests
The Nation


Abhisit campaigns for a Democrat candidate in a by-election in Bangkok Monday.//Photo : Pramote Putthaisong

BANGKOK: -- Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday urged the government to consider why people felt they had to wear a Guy Fawkes mask in protesting against it.

Commenting on the demonstration by a group of people wearing white Guy Fawkes masks on Sunday, Abhisit said the government should not brush off the protesters as being the same old group of opponents.

"The government should consider what caused them to come out in protest," Abhisit said.

He said that had the Pheu Thailed coalition government become involved with the country's problems, Thailand would have remained peaceful and the government would have had the time to solve the country's problems.

Abhisit said that if the government not tried to help former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and pushed for the amnesty bill, political tension would not have built up.

Abhisit also called on the prime minister to warn the red shirts to stop breaking the law by intimidating opponents. Abhisit said the red shirts did not hold symbolic demonstrations but they blocked roads and searched other people's vehicles, which violated the country's laws.

But Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung dismissed the whitemask activists as yellowshirts who were using a new symbol to campaign.

"They are yellow shirts in disguise. They look familiar to me as they are similar to the people in photos taken by Special Branch police," Chalerm said.

He said the government did not know the identity leaders of the new whitemasked group yet because the leaders did not dare to show themselves.

Chalerm claimed that he did not know who organised the campaigns by red masked people, which countered the rallies of the white-masked group.

He said he had nothing to do with the redshirt people and the redmasked group and added that he did not believe information from the Special Branch Police and the National Security Council because he had his own intelligence officers.


-- The Nation 2013-06-03

[waza]

The PTP government isn't about fair, it isn't about doing the decent thing, they support democracy only in name. They are not in power to manage Thailand for the people, they are not there for fiscal responsibility or to protect basic human rights. The PTP is all about serving one man, through any means necessary, legal, moral or not and use the redshirts and RTP as needed and enriching themselves.

Edited June 3, 2013 by waza

[CrisRMenumate]

any form of democracy is doomed if the majority believes it has the right to bully and oppress the minority. This is not democracy but a fledgling dictatorship in the making just waiting for its opportunity to swallow the whole country, the ignorant follows will soon realise that they hoped for changes will not occur and that their red masked leaders will change to be the new elite once they have used their pawns to achieve their goals. Four legs good, two legs better, George Orwell.

[DocN]

Yeah...the first 500 demonstrators on the streets and as sure as the sun rises in the east, the opposition leader demonstrates, that he is as good at "do as I say, don't do as I do" as anyone in this country!

[scorecard]

Yeah...the first 500 demonstrators on the streets and as sure as the sun rises in the east, the opposition leader demonstrates, that he is as good at "do as I say, don't do as I do" as anyone in this country!

?

[waza]

Yeah...the first 500 demonstrators on the streets and as sure as the sun rises in the east, the opposition leader demonstrates, that he is as good at "do as I say, don't do as I do" as anyone in this country!

?

??? I guess its a "What about Abhist post".

Edited June 3, 2013 by waza

[rubl]

""They are yellow shirts in disguise. They look familiar to me as they are similar to the people in photos taken by Special Branch police," Chalerm said."

I assume Dept. PM Pol. Captain Chalerm recognized people from their distinct build and attire and footwear as all faces looked the same :-)

[rubl]

"Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said "They are yellow shirts in disguise. They look familiar to me as they are similar to the people in photos taken by Special Branch police".... and added that he did not believe information from the Special Branch Police and the National Security Council because he had his own intelligence officers."

Meanwhile PM Yingluck continued talking about democracy and freedom.

[Sing_Sling]

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday urged the government to consider why people felt they had to wear a Guy Fawkes mask in protesting against it.

Perhaps Abhisit would care to explain to Thais what they are wearing . . . because I'm sure none of them would have a clue, but it does show how detached Abhisit is from 'his' electorate

[WhizBang]

"They are yellow shirts in disguise. They look familiar to me as they are similar to the people in photos taken by Special Branch police," Chalerm said.

He said the government did not know the identity leaders of the new whitemasked group yet because the leaders did not dare to show themselves.

Wow. He knows the protestors are the same people, but he cannot identify the leaders.

I was also not aware that the image of one white masked individual could be distinguished from that of another. Even from photographs.

This guy Chalerm is a real genius.

[OzMick]

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday urged the government to consider why people felt they had to wear a Guy Fawkes mask in protesting against it.

Perhaps Abhisit would care to explain to Thais what they are wearing . . . because I'm sure none of them would have a clue, but it does show how detached Abhisit is from 'his' electorate

You're sure that none of them have a clue, because what they see in a symbol is different to your own understanding? Have you considered that if they attach a certain meaning to it, that meaning should be sufficient, while your "deeper understanding" is irrelevant?

[bigbamboo]

"They are yellow shirts in disguise. They look familiar to me as they are similar to the people in photos taken by Special Branch police," Chalerm said.

He said the government did not know the identity leaders of the new whitemasked group yet because the leaders did not dare to show themselves.

Wow. He knows the protestors are the same people, but he cannot identify the leaders.

I was also not aware that the image of one white masked individual could be distinguished from that of another. Even from photographs.

This guy Chalerm is a real genius.

Didn't he also claim to know who was behind the assassination plot on Thaksin in Burma which turned out to be a figment of little Oak's imagination?

[hellodolly]

any form of democracy is doomed if the majority believes it has the right to bully and oppress the minority. This is not democracy but a fledgling dictatorship in the making just waiting for its opportunity to swallow the whole country, the ignorant follows will soon realise that they hoped for changes will not occur and that their red masked leaders will change to be the new elite once they have used their pawns to achieve their goals. Four legs good, two legs better, George Orwell.

Well in this case it is the Minority doing the bullying. 52% of the voters didn't want therm. Of the 20,000.000 who didn't vote I doubt the majority of them wanted Thaksin either. If they did the red shirts would have made sure they voted.

[Democratically of course]

[hellodolly]

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday urged the government to consider why people felt they had to wear a Guy Fawkes mask in protesting against it.

Perhaps Abhisit would care to explain to Thais what they are wearing . . . because I'm sure none of them would have a clue, but it does show how detached Abhisit is from 'his' electorate

You're sure that none of them have a clue, because what they see in a symbol is different to your own understanding? Have you considered that if they attach a certain meaning to it, that meaning should be sufficient, while your "deeper understanding" is irrelevant?

So if Thais didn't see the movie or study English history you feel they are to stupid to understand a symbol being used to protest dictatorship. They could use a picture of 1,000 star clusters grouped together and not understand the meaning of it but if told it was a symbol of anti dictatorship they would then understand what it means politically.

[Noistar]

Yeah...the first 500 demonstrators on the streets and as sure as the sun rises in the east, the opposition leader demonstrates, that he is as good at "do as I say, don't do as I do" as anyone in this country!

?

??? I guess its a "What about Abhist post".

I'm glad you understood it - left me baffled!

[philw]

The PTP government isn't about fair, it isn't about doing the decent thing, they support democracy only in name. They are not in power to manage Thailand for the people, they are not there for fiscal responsibility or to protect basic human rights. The PTP is all about serving one man, through any means necessary, legal, moral or not and use the redshirts and RTP as needed and enriching themselves.

police save redshirts.jpg

Oh dear, here we are in Thailand...

[rubl]

Being put to the task PM Yingluck might want to make her next visit and speech on democracy in Turkey where it would seem like minded souls rule the country. Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan on Sunday said "There is now a menace which is called Twitter. The best examples of lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to society."
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-06-02/protest-subsides-at-istanbul-square

An exchange of ideas on democracy is forseen, like we had in SriLanka

[Ragzilb]

Finally we are starting to see the real people protesting, not some rich guys founded actors. WE ARE THE MANY

[Noistar]

The PTP government isn't about fair, it isn't about doing the decent thing, they support democracy only in name. They are not in power to manage Thailand for the people, they are not there for fiscal responsibility or to protect basic human rights. The PTP is all about serving one man, through any means necessary, legal, moral or not and use the redshirts and RTP as needed and enriching themselves.

police save redshirts.jpg

Oh dear, here we are in Thailand...

...... which makes it all right

[webfact]

WHITE-MASK PROTEST
Take group seriously: Abhisit
The Nation


Protesters from the anti-government Palang Thammatippatai group and former supporters of the Communist Party of Thailand, who have been rallying at Sanam Luang, march to Government House yesterday to show moral support for former National Security Council secretary-general Thawil Pliensri

Chalerm dismisses demonstrators as just 'yellow shirts in disguise'

BANGKOK: -- Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva urged the government yesterday to consider why people had to wear masks to protest against it.

Commenting on the rally by hundreds of people wearing the white Guy Fawkes masks, Abhisit said the government should not have dismissed the protesters as the same old group of opponents.

"The government should have considered what caused them to come out to protest," Abhisit said.

He said if the Pheu Thai-led government had resolved national problems, the country would have remained peaceful and it would have had time to solve issues.

If the government had not tried to help former prime minister Thaksin and pushed for an amnesty bill, political tension would not have mounted.

Abhisit also called on the PM to warn the red shirts to stop breaking the law by intimidating opponents. He said the red shirts did not hold symbolic demonstrations but blocked roads and searched other people's vehicles, which violated the law.

About 700 hundred opponents of the government clad in white Guy Fawkes masks walked from CentralWorld shopping complex to the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre on Sunday to protest against the Yingluck Shinawatra administration, which they say is a puppet regime controlled by her brother, the fugitive former PM Thaksin. Shortly after the group left, government supporters wearing red masks and calling themselves 'Ultra Red' and 'Daeng Sayiew' held a counter-protest at Siam BTS station.

Hundreds of protesters from another anti-government group, who have been rallying at Sanam Luang, marched to Government House yesterday to show moral support for former National Security Council secretary-general Thawil Pliensri. Some of these people also wore white masks.

Deputy Premier Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday dismissed the white-mask activists as yellow-shirt people with a new symbol for campaigning.

"They are yellow shirts in disguise. They look familiar to me as they look similar to those in photos taken by the Special Branch police," Chalerm said.

He said the government did not know the identity of the leaders of the new white-mask group yet, as these people dared not come out.

Chalerm claimed he did not know who organised the campaigns by the red-mask people, which were held to counter rallies of the white-mask group.

He said he had nothing to do with the red-shirt people or the red-mask group. He added that he did not rely on information from the Special Branch Police and the National Security Council because he had his own intelligence officers.

Chalerm also dismissed the Thai Spring group of Kaewsan Atibodhi, a former Assets Examination Committee member, and former senior police officer Vasit Dejkunjorn, as a group of "people with nothing to do".

Kaewsan and Vasit formed the Thai Spring fan page for people who disagreed with the speech PM Yingluck Shinawatra made in Mongolia, to unite and express their disagreement.

Deputy government spokesman Sunisa Lertpakawat said the mask protests from various groups reflected diversity in society.

However, she said the current movements reflected fighting between two opposing groups: a democratic group that supports elected government and a group of "old power" people who did not want to lose power.

The latter group was used to oust former premier Thaksin and now comes in various new identities, including the Thai Spring and White Masks groups, and the protest at Sanam Luang, she said.

"These people don't have any new issues (to protest) but to oust the Thaksin government and the Shinawatras. They don't accept the truth.

"Fifteen million Thais liked the administration under Thaksin Shinawatra and voted for Yingluck Shinawatra and the Pheu Thai Party to be the government," she said.


-- The Nation 2013-06-04

[Rich teacher]

Kaewsan Atibhoti is a Thai politician, former Senator for Bangkok, and unsuccessful nominee for Election Commissioner. Prior to his political career, he was a law lecturer at Thammasat University. Kaewsan was a vocal critic of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and spoke at several anti-Thaksin rallies organized by the People's Alliance for Democracy. As Senator, Kaewsan repeatedly attacked Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, comparing him to a hijacker and a rapist. Kaewsan claimed that Thaksin mismanaged the Thai economy, especially by signing several free trade agreements with trading partners. "For instance, the FTA with China has put many Thai growers of garlic and other vegetables out of business due to the dumping of cheaper Chinese imports. Ballpoint-pen and electrical-transformer makers here are in bad shape as cheaper Chinese imports have flooded the domestic market."

Also (very fairly of course) appointed to the Assets Examination Committee, to investigate Thaksin.

[OzMick]

Kaewsan Atibhoti is a Thai politician, former Senator for Bangkok, and unsuccessful nominee for Election Commissioner. Prior to his political career, he was a law lecturer at Thammasat University. Kaewsan was a vocal critic of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and spoke at several anti-Thaksin rallies organized by the People's Alliance for Democracy. As Senator, Kaewsan repeatedly attacked Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, comparing him to a hijacker and a rapist. Kaewsan claimed that Thaksin mismanaged the Thai economy, especially by signing several free trade agreements with trading partners. "For instance, the FTA with China has put many Thai growers of garlic and other vegetables out of business due to the dumping of cheaper Chinese imports. Ballpoint-pen and electrical-transformer makers here are in bad shape as cheaper Chinese imports have flooded the domestic market."

Also (very fairly of course) appointed to the Assets Examination Committee, to investigate Thaksin.

If nothing else, he seems to be a good judge of character.

You think it unfair to appoint an ex-law lecturer to the AEC? Perhaps you forget that Thaksin's lawyer was in jail for bribery, his perjuring sister, gardener, maid and chauffeur has disqualified themselves by claiming false ownership, and most of his family were on political bans for electoral corruption along with the core of his party. But I'm, sure they could have found some of his stooges prepared to swear black was white if they looked hard enough. Where were you at the time?

[Noistar]

Did the electorate vote for the economic destruction of Thailand?

Did they vote for a removal of Democratic principals?

IMHO they voted for parties which met their own goals. The current Government manipulate the uneducated masses in the North bowing to their god who 'only cares for them', without having the ability to rationalize their beliefs.

Their vote is as valid as anyone else's. Who is to place value on a person's right? So the Government therefore has its mandate.

Democracy is confused with a right-to-vote the world over. Proportional Representation is true democracy but is avoided like the plague by politicians. The argument being "you won't have a Government strong enough to act".

So until everybody has equal representation there will be conflicts. A Government willing to accept criticism and discuss alternative viewpoints has more chance of Governing successfully and peacefully, than one which hides behind "we cannot be questioned because we won".

Thailand is so diverse, one of the many reasons why people come here. It's a shame the current Government is so juvenile that they don't care about the country or its people. They have the ability to do so much good. It is so frustrating to see the harm that is being done daily.

Like my vain daughter, this Government's life is all about looking in the mirror, rather than beyond it.

[rubl]

We have the pro-democracy group which supports the elected government and all the others which don't. Obviously the others are undemocratic. Even rich teachers say so. 15.7 million voted for this government and the only reason no-one voted for Thaksin is that he didn't want to stand as candidate.

BTW in July 2011 out of 46.9 million registered voters 35.5m cast their vote. That suggests of course that only the 15.7m for Pheu Thai are democratic minded and the rest is to be ignored. Democratically. how dare they oppose this benign government.

[Sing_Sling]

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday urged the government to consider why people felt they had to wear a Guy Fawkes mask in protesting against it.

Perhaps Abhisit would care to explain to Thais what they are wearing . . . because I'm sure none of them would have a clue, but it does show how detached Abhisit is from 'his' electorate

You're sure that none of them have a clue, because what they see in a symbol is different to your own understanding? Have you considered that if they attach a certain meaning to it, that meaning should be sufficient, while your "deeper understanding" is irrelevant?

Then why call it a Guy Fawkes mask? The article definitely alludes to Guy Fawkes . . . why not just call it a white mask?

[Sing_Sling]

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday urged the government to consider why people felt they had to wear a Guy Fawkes mask in protesting against it.

Perhaps Abhisit would care to explain to Thais what they are wearing . . . because I'm sure none of them would have a clue, but it does show how detached Abhisit is from 'his' electorate

You're sure that none of them have a clue, because what they see in a symbol is different to your own understanding? Have you considered that if they attach a certain meaning to it, that meaning should be sufficient, while your "deeper understanding" is irrelevant?

So if Thais didn't see the movie or study English history you feel they are to stupid to understand a symbol being used to protest dictatorship. They could use a picture of 1,000 star clusters grouped together and not understand the meaning of it but if told it was a symbol of anti dictatorship they would then understand what it means politically.

If you think they're too stupid, then that's your right. Why call it a Guy Fawkes mask then, because Guy Fawkes does have a certain meaning attached to it. We can't mention it here, but it could be considered treasonous - just look at who he joined when he returned to England and what his plan was.

[OzMick]

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday urged the government to consider why people felt they had to wear a Guy Fawkes mask in protesting against it.

Perhaps Abhisit would care to explain to Thais what they are wearing . . . because I'm sure none of them would have a clue, but it does show how detached Abhisit is from 'his' electorate

You're sure that none of them have a clue, because what they see in a symbol is different to your own understanding? Have you considered that if they attach a certain meaning to it, that meaning should be sufficient, while your "deeper understanding" is irrelevant?

So if Thais didn't see the movie or study English history you feel they are to stupid to understand a symbol being used to protest dictatorship. They could use a picture of 1,000 star clusters grouped together and not understand the meaning of it but if told it was a symbol of anti dictatorship they would then understand what it means politically.

If you think they're too stupid, then that's your right. Why call it a Guy Fawkes mask then, because Guy Fawkes does have a certain meaning attached to it. We can't mention it here, but it could be considered treasonous - just look at who he joined when he returned to England and what his plan was.

Well that's novel. You tell us they haven't got a clue, but I think they are too stupid? How exactly did you work that out?

I'll say it again - the mask is a symbol to which they attach a meaning. Whether they know about it's history (obscure to a Thai) or not is irrelevant, the CURRENT meaning is anti-dictatorship and that is all they need, or want, to know to find it appealing under a Thaksinist government.

BTW I see no reason why we can't mention that Fawkes was attempting regicide. He most certainly was not an anti-monarchist as he was attempting to change monarchs to one who's views he hoped would suit his own goals.

[Thai at Heart]

WHITE-MASK PROTEST

Take group seriously: Abhisit

The Nation

Protesters from the anti-government Palang Thammatippatai group and former supporters of the Communist Party of Thailand, who have been rallying at Sanam Luang, march to Government House yesterday to show moral support for former National Security Council secretary-general Thawil Pliensri

Chalerm dismisses demonstrators as just 'yellow shirts in disguise'

BANGKOK: -- Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva urged the government yesterday to consider why people had to wear masks to protest against it.

Commenting on the rally by hundreds of people wearing the white Guy Fawkes masks, Abhisit said the government should not have dismissed the protesters as the same old group of opponents.

"The government should have considered what caused them to come out to protest," Abhisit said.

He said if the Pheu Thai-led government had resolved national problems, the country would have remained peaceful and it would have had time to solve issues.

If the government had not tried to help former prime minister Thaksin and pushed for an amnesty bill, political tension would not have mounted.

Abhisit also called on the PM to warn the red shirts to stop breaking the law by intimidating opponents. He said the red shirts did not hold symbolic demonstrations but blocked roads and searched other people's vehicles, which violated the law.

About 700 hundred opponents of the government clad in white Guy Fawkes masks walked from CentralWorld shopping complex to the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre on Sunday to protest against the Yingluck Shinawatra administration, which they say is a puppet regime controlled by her brother, the fugitive former PM Thaksin. Shortly after the group left, government supporters wearing red masks and calling themselves 'Ultra Red' and 'Daeng Sayiew' held a counter-protest at Siam BTS station.

Hundreds of protesters from another anti-government group, who have been rallying at Sanam Luang, marched to Government House yesterday to show moral support for former National Security Council secretary-general Thawil Pliensri. Some of these people also wore white masks.

Deputy Premier Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday dismissed the white-mask activists as yellow-shirt people with a new symbol for campaigning.

"They are yellow shirts in disguise. They look familiar to me as they look similar to those in photos taken by the Special Branch police," Chalerm said.

He said the government did not know the identity of the leaders of the new white-mask group yet, as these people dared not come out.

Chalerm claimed he did not know who organised the campaigns by the red-mask people, which were held to counter rallies of the white-mask group.

He said he had nothing to do with the red-shirt people or the red-mask group. He added that he did not rely on information from the Special Branch Police and the National Security Council because he had his own intelligence officers.

Chalerm also dismissed the Thai Spring group of Kaewsan Atibodhi, a former Assets Examination Committee member, and former senior police officer Vasit Dejkunjorn, as a group of "people with nothing to do".

Kaewsan and Vasit formed the Thai Spring fan page for people who disagreed with the speech PM Yingluck Shinawatra made in Mongolia, to unite and express their disagreement.

Deputy government spokesman Sunisa Lertpakawat said the mask protests from various groups reflected diversity in society.

However, she said the current movements reflected fighting between two opposing groups: a democratic group that supports elected government and a group of "old power" people who did not want to lose power.

The latter group was used to oust former premier Thaksin and now comes in various new identities, including the Thai Spring and White Masks groups, and the protest at Sanam Luang, she said.

"These people don't have any new issues (to protest) but to oust the Thaksin government and the Shinawatras. They don't accept the truth.

"Fifteen million Thais liked the administration under Thaksin Shinawatra and voted for Yingluck Shinawatra and the Pheu Thai Party to be the government," she said.

-- The Nation 2013-06-04

Does Abhisit really think that ANY government can keep 100% of the entire population happy ALL of the time. Someone is always going to be hacked off with something a government does, and unfortunately, pandering to every whim of every group that bothers to have a protest is a complete non-starter.

So, should the government be it, his or any other, jump to attention when a few thousand (wasn't this protest under 1000?)people have a protest? Nope. Have the protest, he as opposition leader should note their grievance, and use it to pound home the point to the government and the media for politial advantage. Claiming that if everything was hunkey dorey in the country, no one would protest is ridiculous.

The way to pressure a government, and register your disatisfaction is through protest. The way to register your dissatisfaction with the government effectively is at the election box. Expecting any government to jump out of its seat because of a small protest is misuderstanding democracy also.

[Sing_Sling]

ou're sure that none of them have a clue, because what they see in a symbol is different to your own understanding? Have you considered that if they attach a certain meaning to it, that meaning should be sufficient, while your "deeper understanding" is irrelevant?

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday urged the government to consider why people felt they had to wear a Guy Fawkes mask in protesting against it.

Perhaps Abhisit would care to explain to Thais what they are wearing . . . because I'm sure none of them would have a clue, but it does show how detached Abhisit is from 'his' electorate

So if Thais didn't see the movie or study English history you feel they are to stupid to understand a symbol being used to protest dictatorship. They could use a picture of 1,000 star clusters grouped together and not understand the meaning of it but if told it was a symbol of anti dictatorship they would then understand what it means politically.

If you think they're too stupid, then that's your right. Why call it a Guy Fawkes mask then, because Guy Fawkes does have a certain meaning attached to it. We can't mention it here, but it could be considered treasonous - just look at who he joined when he returned to England and what his plan was.

Well that's novel. You tell us they haven't got a clue, but I think they are too stupid? How exactly did you work that out?

I'll say it again - the mask is a symbol to which they attach a meaning. Whether they know about it's history (obscure to a Thai) or not is irrelevant, the CURRENT meaning is anti-dictatorship and that is all they need, or want, to know to find it appealing under a Thaksinist government.

BTW I see no reason why we can't mention that Fawkes was attempting regicide. He most certainly was not an anti-monarchist as he was attempting to change monarchs to one who's views he hoped would suit his own goals.

Sorry, the 'bigger and better' quote function is absolutely pathetic -

[OzMick]

Does Abhisit really think that ANY government can keep 100% of the entire population happy ALL of the time. Someone is always going to be hacked off with something a government does, and unfortunately, pandering to every whim of every group that bothers to have a protest is a complete non-starter.

So, should the government be it, his or any other, jump to attention when a few thousand (wasn't this protest under 1000?)people have a protest? Nope. Have the protest, he as opposition leader should note their grievance, and use it to pound home the point to the government and the media for politial advantage. Claiming that if everything was hunkey dorey in the country, no one would protest is ridiculous.

The way to pressure a government, and register your disatisfaction is through protest. The way to register your dissatisfaction with the government effectively is at the election box. Expecting any government to jump out of its seat because of a small protest is misuderstanding democracy also.

I suppose calling them moronic garbage is easier than asking "what up, doc?"