In pictures: Thailand's days of rage

[webfact]

In pictures: Thailand's days of rage
Bangkok has been struck by huge anti-government demonstrations targeting ministry buildings.
Vincenzo Floramo

Al Jazeera

BANGKOK: -- Protests against the Thai government escalated after protesters occupied several government buildings in Bangkok. Thousands of anti-government demonstrators raided the foreign affairs and finance ministries on Monday, and besieged several other ministries on Tuesday.

The protests are a response to the government's attempt to pass a controversial amnesty law that would have facilitated the return of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's brother, Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin, a former prime minister himself, remains a deeply polarising figure in Thai politics since his ousting in a military coup seven years ago, and is seen by many as the government's real decision-maker from his exile in Dubai.

This is Thailand's biggest wave of protests since tens of thousands of Thaksin supporters took to the streets in 2010. The demonstrators currently in the streets have said they aim to topple the government. The protests are led by former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who currently remains on the grounds of the finance ministry in defiance of an arrest warrant issued against him.

Images: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2013/11/pictures-thailand-days-rage-20131126141040294188.html

-- AL JAZEERA 2013-11-27

[sjjmmi]

Cool pic's

[Somtamnication]

AJ will probably now get banned in Thailand. Truth hurts.

[hanno]

"A policeman participating in the protests...."

<deleted>, surely civil servants should not be participating?

[Bagwan]

The protestors don't look typically middle class to me.

[Spare]

The protestors don't look typically middle class to me.

How does a typically middle class look? Fair skin Chinese like Mark?

But Suthep, the leader is dark skin as well.

[aussimike]

The protestors don't look typically middle class to me.

No they dont look like city dwellers for sure but they do look typically Isan, - after being in the LOS for 16 years these are not the typical faces you see at the market or JJ on the weekend, more like farmers from NE- I have been through 2 of these crazy protests, 2010 and the previous one, bombs at the BTS, grenades being dropped on the police box at Saphan Kwai, got so pissed off when they closed the cimema i was watching at central.

at least the guns have not come out yet , just need some crazy thai demonstrator with a belly full of mekong loose and off we go again with burnt out buses and cars littering the streets, dead bodies vanishing during the night with bodies turning up months later buried at some remote temple upcountry, no way is this the end - i am still amazed that the big companies are still keeping their investments there but lets see how long they well with this happening every few years, this country has no direct, its split down the middle, like headless chooks,they should arrest Mr Black S. or just make him vanish - i have a good pic of an army sniper who got rid of one retired general last time so why not here, things might settle down - well for the time being anyway, for how long one must ask.. china seems to be the place to me - for sure

[sunshine51]

Great photos on the AJ site.

Isn't democracy grand!!!!?

[tingtongteesood]

Look at the faces on those security forces guys ? So dour, I am wondering if they feel ashamed at defending the bad government...? ''But it's my job !''

[thailandpeter2]

i guess they will have to block A LOT of foreign media now. for example see bloomberg news service...

AJ will probably now get banned in Thailand. Truth hurts.

[thailandpeter2]

it does not really matter where they come from. but you are right, one or a few drunken heads among them and once violence starts it is not easy to stop, not even for the protest leaders. and IF violence starts, the government and the security forces, bad and corrupt as the government may be, just HAS the duty to restore order - and for this they will also need to exert some power/counter violence if things get out of hand...

if the demonstrators return to thei peaceful kind of protest like until last sunday and still partially monday (before the occupation of the first ministries), all might still be ending ok. but if the don't then a repeat of 2008, 2010 or even worse is very probable.

unfortunately it seems that suthep and other protest leaders, the same as the pad in 2008 and the reds in 2010, have not learned from the past and are hell-bent to either get their way or to destroy the country. in this way they are not any better than thaksin and his cronies...

The protestors don't look typically middle class to me.

No they dont look like city dwellers for sure but they do look typically Isan, - after being in the LOS for 16 years these are not the typical faces you see at the market or JJ on the weekend, more like farmers from NE- I have been through 2 of these crazy protests, 2010 and the previous one, bombs at the BTS, grenades being dropped on the police box at Saphan Kwai, got so pissed off when they closed the cimema i was watching at central.

at least the guns have not come out yet , just need some crazy thai demonstrator with a belly full of mekong loose and off we go again with burnt out buses and cars littering the streets, dead bodies vanishing during the night with bodies turning up months later buried at some remote temple upcountry, no way is this the end - i am still amazed that the big companies are still keeping their investments there but lets see how long they well with this happening every few years, this country has no direct, its split down the middle, like headless chooks,they should arrest Mr Black S. or just make him vanish - i have a good pic of an army sniper who got rid of one retired general last time so why not here, things might settle down - well for the time being anyway, for how long one must ask.. china seems to be the place to me - for sure

[thailandpeter2]

it does not really matter where they come from. but you are right, one or a few drunken heads among them and once violence starts it is not easy to stop, not even for the protest leaders. and IF violence starts, the government and the security forces, bad and corrupt as the government may be, just HAS the duty to restore order - and for this they will also need to exert some power/counter violence if things get out of hand...

if the demonstrators return to thei peaceful kind of protest like until last sunday and still partially monday (before the occupation of the first ministries), all might still be ending ok. but if the don't then a repeat of 2008, 2010 or even worse is very probable.

unfortunately it seems that suthep and other protest leaders, the same as the pad in 2008 and the reds in 2010, have not learned from the past and are hell-bent to either get their way or to destroy the country. in this way they are not any better than thaksin and his cronies...

The protestors don't look typically middle class to me.

No they dont look like city dwellers for sure but they do look typically Isan, - after being in the LOS for 16 years these are not the typical faces you see at the market or JJ on the weekend, more like farmers from NE- I have been through 2 of these crazy protests, 2010 and the previous one, bombs at the BTS, grenades being dropped on the police box at Saphan Kwai, got so pissed off when they closed the cimema i was watching at central.

at least the guns have not come out yet , just need some crazy thai demonstrator with a belly full of mekong loose and off we go again with burnt out buses and cars littering the streets, dead bodies vanishing during the night with bodies turning up months later buried at some remote temple upcountry, no way is this the end - i am still amazed that the big companies are still keeping their investments there but lets see how long they well with this happening every few years, this country has no direct, its split down the middle, like headless chooks,they should arrest Mr Black S. or just make him vanish - i have a good pic of an army sniper who got rid of one retired general last time so why not here, things might settle down - well for the time being anyway, for how long one must ask.. china seems to be the place to me - for sure

[Eagleizer]

AJ will probably now get banned in Thailand. Truth hurts.

And you are next because of your post.. Thailand needs to take a holiday in

another country, as it`s the best way to see whats wrong with your own.. Just sayi`n

[Colabamumbai]

I am surprised by the low number of demonstrators, I had expected that more would have gone to the capital to show their support in overthrowing the current government.

Possibly many Thais do not care anymore, one way or another, or possibly they do not know which party to support at this time. I may be wrong but I think there were more buses arriving in 2010.