Travel & Humanitarian Photos
The third day of the Red Shirt protests saw the demonstrators divide their efforts and split into groups, each targetting different parts of the city.
The main thrust of the splinter activities were aimed at the 11th infantry barracks, where Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was previously based. He had left by helicopter before the Red Shirts arrived. The Reds’ leaders had previously issued a demand for the sitting parliament to be dissolved but they watched their noon deadline come and go without any surrender from the Government before heading back to their main stronghold at Phan Fa Bridge.
Sadly, two M79 grenades, reportedly launched from a pick-up truck, were fired into the First Infantry Regiment compound on Vibhabadi Rangsit road, wounding two soldiers – the first casualties of the protests and, I sincerely hope, the last.
The main Red Shirt site at Phan Fa Bridge was considerably quieter when I arrived today than it had been yesterday. Red Shirt leaders maintain that this is simply a result of many of their number being deployed to other locations although the sense of carnival had been replaced by a much more subdued atmosphere this afternoon. The singing, dancing and loud anti-Government rhetoric continued on-stage but the vocal support seemed greatly diminished today.
It was diminished further when supporters were distracted by a large plume of black smoke emerging from beneath the Khlong bridge on which they are gathered. It seems that an electrical short-circuit had ignited the pylons beneath the bridge and it took almost thirty minutes for the fire to be extinguished. However, from what I saw, this was the height of the action today and my feeling is that the earlier enthusiasm has, temporarily at least, lost impetus. Whether that means that the Red Shirts will soon give up their fight or if they will resort to increasingly desperate measures to make themselves heard remains to be seen.
Red Shirt protesters returning to Phan Fa Bridge from their earlier gathering outside the 11th Infantry barracks
All kinds of vehicles are employed to ferry protesters around the city
Returning to the main Red Shirt stronghold
Smoke from an electrical fire billows from beneath Phan Fa bridge
It took almost thirty minutes for the fire to be extinguished
Despite the smaller crowds, the Red Shirts remained cheerfully buoyant.
Protesters return to the main demo site carrying a poster of exiled Premiere Thaksin Shinawatra
Dude,
You Rock. These are the strongest photos I’ve seen yet from the protests. Great work.
jack
Jack, coming from you, that’s a real compliment. Thank you.
Looking forward to catching up with you in Bangkok. Tarry not.
Just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you posting your images of the protest. They’re excellent.
Hi Gavin,
Great shots as always. Will come to see more later. Wish the demonstration passes of peacefully……..
Gavin, Liked your shots. Hope they put a lid on things before the end of July when I arrive. I will take you up on the offer for a Singha. Stay safe my friend. Ralph
[...] I had a great day yesterday hanging out with Gavin Gough and Marco Ryan in Bangkok. We are working on the details of a new foundation that will soon be announced. More to come on that in the days ahead. But while here, Gavin invited Marco and me along as he continued his series on the Red Shirt protest here in Bangkok. You can find his wonderful images Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. [...]