The Protesters encampment stretched over a 6 block long swath in central Bangkok held another rally last night demanding that the Prime Minister and her party give up power. Charismatic protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban spoke from atop Bangkok's Democracy Monument in the center for well over an hour, as dozens of big screen TVs scattered around the area carried his words and image to every part of the sprawling protest site.
The Democracy monument as Suthep Thaugsuban spoke.
A protester's car damaged during the previous police violence when protesters' barricades were removed from the area.
Free food was being given out to protesters along the edges of the protest site in several locations.
A protester with his sign (please excuse the finger in this shot).
A painting of Suthep Thaugsuban leading the protest.
Protesters getting free Thai foot massage.
Even a pet monkey came out to protest.
Despite Protests, Thailand Says February Vote Will Go Ahead
By THOMAS FULLER
Protesters, who say they are fighting to eradicate corruption and banish Ms. Yingluck and her clan from the country, have blocked candidate registration sites over the past week and clashed violently with the police, leaving two people dead. The protesters, who on some days have numbered well over 100,000 people, also say they are planning to “shut down” Bangkok this month by cutting power to government buildings and blocking major intersections.
Before Friday’s announcement, at least one member of the Election Commission seemed sympathetic to the protesters’ demands and was urging a delay in the election. But the commission’s secretary general, Phuchong Nutawong, was unequivocal on Friday in saying that the election would take place as scheduled on Feb. 2 because “it is the law.”
“We will hold elections,” he said. “We can confirm this to you.”
The protesters, who began their demonstrations two months ago, have been assisted by members of the Democrat Party, the country’s oldest political party, which announced last month that it would boycott the elections. Candidate registration has proceeded smoothly in the whole country except for one area of Bangkok and in southern Thailand, the stronghold of the Democrat Party.
The protesters’ rationale for blocking the elections is that the family of Ms. Yingluck has done so much damage to the country that her party’s re-election — seemingly certain if elections go ahead — would be “a return to the same corruption,” in the words of the protest leader, Suthep Thaugsuban.