"Thaksin leave now" 14 March rally!

[hillbilly]

Today, I attended the rally by the anti-Taksin people near the Government building. In the shot below you might know the guy on the left as hillbilly.

The guy in the middle is sorta the driving force to get rid of the PM. BTW, he loved my t-shirt!

The girl on the right, who knows?

Anyway, a hell of a lot of people showing up for the possible ouster of Thaksin.


More photos to follow...

[Xzyte]

The guy in the middle is sorta the driving force to get rid of the PM.

His name is "Chamlong Srimuang"

[Goddess of Whatever]

Yep!..

[dirtydog]

Thousands call for Thai PM to quit


Photo: Reuters
Click to enlarge
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thousands of people massed peacefully outside the office of beleaguered Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday, their leaders vowing they would stay until he quit.
Thaksin said he would declare a state of emergency if things got out of hand in the latest phase of a growing campaign to oust him, an act that could bring troops onto the streets of a country with a long and relatively recent history of coups.
But military chiefs said they saw no immediate signs an emergency decree would be needed despite the leaders of the campaign, who accuse Thaksin of corruption and abuse of power, taking the protest to Government House, the seat of government.
"So far, we don't think the situation will turn violent," army chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin said after military leaders met Defence Minister Thammarak Isarangura to review the situation.
Before the meeting, Sonthi said he opposed an emergency, declaring it "useless because it will hurt the image of our country". Supreme Commander General Ruangroj Mahasaranon said there would have to be serious violence before one was declared.


"Only if the situation escalates into unrest like riots or arson attacks in the city. But I don't see anything now," he said.
More than 100,000 people began the protest after an all-night rally, but by early afternoon the crowd had dwindled to around 10,000 sitting on the main road alongside the large Government House compound. It was expected to grow again in the evening.
The crowd appeared to be well disciplined.
When some people tried to tear down a long banner pinned to the wall of Government House bearing messages of support for Thaksin, marshals in the crowd moved swiftly to stop them.
"DON'T BE AFRAID"
Fears of violence have been rife since the anti-Thaksin campaign caught fire in late January following the tax-free $1.9 billion (1.09 billion pounds) sale by relatives of the business empire he founded.
Chamlong Srimuang, the ascetic general who led a 1992 "people power" uprising against a military government in which about 50 people were killed, said there would be no trouble this time.
"You can be assured that nothing will happen. Do not be afraid," he told the rally.
The campaign against Thaksin, which began in September, has worried financial markets concerned that economic reforms and plans to spend $43 billion on revamping infrastructure to help reverse an economic slowdown will be delayed.
The main stock market index rose 0.78 percent on Tuesday, but trade was thin.
"That could reflect some investors still being concerned about the political crisis. They want to wait and see where is the exit from the political crisis," said Kosin Sripaiboon of UOB Kay Hian Securities.
That could take some time.
"We will stay here until the prime minister resigns," said union leader Pien Yongnu, who brought hundreds of people to the protest.
"It's hot, it's damn hot here, but we have to stand it here for our land to cool down," media moghul Sondhi Limthongkul, who began the anti-Thaksin campaign, told the crowd.
Protest leaders had hoped the crowd could prevent the weekly cabinet meeting. But it went ahead with Thaksin chairing it by video-link.
He was campaigning in the northeast for a snap election he called for April 2 in hopes of defusing the campaign, saying he would not be forced out by "mob rule" and accusing opposition parties of betraying democracy by boycotting it.
The cabinet approved a 5 percent pay rise for state firm employees, backdated to October, but that had no effect on union leaders who are among the core supporters of the campaign.
"I would like to thank the government for the pay rise, but our stand is clear, that the prime minister must go," Sirichai Maingam, union chief at state power firm EGAT PCL, told a Bangkok radio station. (Additional reporting by Pracha Hariraksapitak and Nopporn Wong-Anan)

hill billys mate is famous

[dirtydog]

Hillbillys mate is on reuters, hillbilly aint though

[dirtydog]

American CIA agent meets up with Chamlong Srimuang? is hillbilly really just a teacher?

[hillbilly]

Instead of babbling on, I will let the photos speak for themselves.

[hillbilly]

More shots...





A lot of banners.

[hillbilly]

These guys were not happy.





Another serious face!

[hillbilly]

All ages are involved!





a quiet spot...

[ChiangMai noon]

Hiibilly, you've been in the thick of it all.

Where do you think this is going to end??

[dirtydog]

Had to move 3 posts, as they were not suitable for this thread, and one of them may have been classed as illegal, hmmm you know who you are wally

[hillbilly]

Some of the planners at work.

[hillbilly]

I have to admit, I wondered around with both eyes wide open. My 'fan' while a anti-Thaksoin supporter was rather scared of the police moving in.

[hillbilly]

Getting some shut eye. It is only about 35 degrees C.



More banners...

[MeMock]

Great thread.

And Hillbilly even looks like a hillbilly!

[hillbilly]

It seems as though everyone has a loud speaker.



Flags of support.

[hillbilly]

Some looks are worth a 1000 words...



...

[hillbilly]

History does play a part in revolution.




One of the speakers.

[hillbilly]

These people are not bull shitting...





Large crowds...

[hillbilly]

The crowd continues to grow...




One of the speakers!

[hillbilly]

More of the crowd.




All economic backgrounds are there!

[hillbilly]

Protesters stay in a variety of hotels.


The feeling that I gathered...

[The Gentleman Scamp]

My ex girlfriend's mum used to date Thaksin at business school and says he is hung like a mouse.

[klongmaster]

TGS
Rather poor taste due to the serious nature of the thread

why don't you grow up