Rajprasong turns red

[Khun Don]

Rajprasong turns red
The Nation May 19, 2012 1:20 pm


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The entire Rajprasong Intersection turned red Saturday afternoon with tens of thousands of red-shirt people occupying the roads to commemorate two years after the killings of their peers by troops.

The red-shirt people started blocking the Rajprasong Intersection since 5 am to set up a stage facing the Rajdamri Road towards Pratunam area.

By 9 am, they started occupying the Rajdamri Road in front of the stage. By noon, the entire Rajdamri Road in front of CentralWorld shopping mall was occupied up to the Pratunam Intersection.

The two roadsides were also occupied with vendors selling foods, drinks and souvenirs, which are political symbols.

Police have been deployed to keep security around the rally site with no violent incident reported so far.

CentralWorld also put up barriers around the mall with security officers guarding the entrances.

Police also set up four security checkpoints around the rally site and security guards of the red-shirt movement also set up their own checpoints to check those who came to join the rally.

The checkpoints were located at the Chidlom Intersection, in front of Mater Dei School, the Pratunam Intersection, Chalermpao Intersection, in front of the Forensic Science Institute, the Rajdamri Intersection and in front of the Police Hospital. Police were also deployed to keep security on flyovers in the area.

Pol Col Saranyu Chamnarnrat, deputy commander of Metropolitan Police Division 5, said about 1,200 policemen were deployed to keep security at Rajprasong.

The red-shirt demonstrators are scheduled to disperse at 2 am on Sunday.