40,000 Red Shirts gathered to listen to Thaksin's speech

AFP reported that 40,000 supporters of the "Red Shirt" movement across Thailand gathered in the center of the capital on May 19 to mark the second anniversary of the bloody crackdown on the street protests, which left more than 90 people dead.

Crowds of flag-waving "Red Shirts", street food vendors and sporadically Buddhist monks have flooded the retail heart of the Thai capital, where 2010 protests in support of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra turned into the country's worst riots in decades.

"Red Shirts" in Ratchaprasong. (Source: Reuters)

"At 6pm (11am GMT) there were about 40,000 people in Ratchaprasong," a Bangkok police spokesman said.

Police blocked traffic at what is usually one of Bangkok's busiest intersections as the mostly rural working-class Red Shirts arrived en masse in buses arranged by the movement.

They are expected to hear Mr Thaksin speak live via video link.

Red Shirt leaders had previously predicted that between 100,000 and 200,000 people would attend the rally, which began with a memorial service for those killed in the 2010 riots and will end on the morning of May 20.

Previously, on May 17, Bangkok Metropolitan Police spokesman Colonel Preeda Sathaworn said five platoons of riot police were responsible for controlling the event area and surrounding areas.

Traffic police, patrols and bomb disposal units are on standby. Checkpoints will also be set up around the event area to prevent troublemakers and instigators of violence./.

According to (Vietnam+) - T