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Red shirts mark anniversary of bloody government crackdown
Thousands of people gather at Rajprasong Intersection, calling for justice for those killed
Supporters of Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra gather with billboards after her registration as the Pheu Thai party candidate in Bangkok on May 19.
Media reports estimate that by mid-Thursday afternoon more than 10,000 had joined the rally near the site of the May 19, 2010 crackdown, waving flags and holding placards calling for justice for those killed.
Several malls in the area, including CentralWorld, closed early, while traffic was diverted away from Rajaprasong shopping and hotel district. CentralWorld was among several buildings torched in the final days of the violence. It has since reopened though its main Zen department store is still under reconstruction.
In April and May 2010, thousands of opposition protesters occupied parts of the shopping district in central Bangkok. For the most part, the red shirts supported former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006. They called for the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and a new general election.
The protests came to a bloody end in May. Government troops cracked down and drove them out of their positions in the Thai capital. At least 91 people died and at least 1,500 others were injured in the clashes, which saw intense street battles between protesters and government troops. More than 30 buildings were set on fire.
Amid the unrest, the Thai government imposed a state of emergency that put the military in charge of security. It lasted seven months and was only lifted in December.
On Thursday, leaders of last year’s red shirt protests registered their candidacies for general elections, set for July 3.
They’ll be running as Pheu Thai candidates, joining ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s sister, businesswoman Yingluck Shinawatra, who is the party’s candidate for prime minister.
For more on the election race, read this article by the Bangkok Post.
