Four days after Black Saturday Bangkok is still reeling from the terrible night when supporters of the UDD clashed in bloody scenes with the army that left more than twenty dead and hundreds injured. From a noisy street protest the Red Shirts campaign has become a major situation, and there is little end in sight. Both sides blame each other for the violence and deaths and both have been rolling out a succession of YouTube videos and camera phone stills to recreate that fateful night. With the government talking tough and promising to root out "terrorists" from the midst of the Red Shirts ranks, there is fear amongst the Reds the army could be back any hour soon. So, abruptly, the Reds this morning decided to abandon their camp at Phan Fa Bridge almost exactly a month after it was set up and consolidate their full presence at Ratchaprasong, reasoning that it would be easier to defend one site if the government gives the green light to send in the army to try clear them out for a second time. The word goes out, and at a surprising speed camp is broken down, up and down Ratchadamnoen Road the tents come down, a temporary home in the city for thousands soon becomes little more than piles of steel poles and canvas sheeting within a few hours of the Reds springing into action to clear the site. Democracy Monument has over the past few days become an impromptu shrine to Saturday night, the military vehicles that made it onto the roundabout and were clogged up along Din So Road ...
Tags: red, shirts, democracy, monument, udd, dictatorship, april, 2010, terrorist, bangkok, army, ratchadamnoen, road, thanon, so, dinso, din, phan, fa, bridge
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