It all started with these two guys. They don't like the Prime Minister. In fact, they don't like a lot of things and are determined to make a change.
They asked these people to come help.
At first, the protests were a friendly, picnic-like event. Although the rhetoric was heated and the intent borderline treason, the mood of the event could be described as patriotic and light, summed up by these simple words, "Samak, you are Bad". (Samak is the current Prime Minister)
Thais, never ones to miss out on an opportunity to have fun, turned the protests into a carnival-esque experience, filled with souvenir shops, concerts, and a liberating opportunity to openly display civil disobedience...
as well as the chance to freely express the right to (hand) pick their government (instead of the ignorant masses) - not to mention, the inalienable right to pick one's nose.
Even the police joined the fun - albeit on the other side of the razor-wire fence and truck tires that the protesters used to barricade themselves inside Government House - the Thai equivalent of the White House's West Wing.
Fun for the whole family.
But the fun had to end sometime.
Samak wanted to go back to work, and after politely asking the protesters to leave (which they did not), he sent in the police.
But the men and women in yellow wouldn't budge, and the police found themselves in the middle of an embarrassing PR quagmire. The situation unresolved, they whacked a few dissidents on the head and withdrew.
Then things got interesting. To protest the police brutality and to put additional pressure on the government, the railway union decided to have a sick out, and millions of people across Thailand couldn't go to work or return home from their holiday.
That night, tensions flared, as protesters were told, reminded, and inundated with the news that the police had used unnecessary and near-lethal force during the afternoon raid.
First blood had been drawn and a mob of the yellow-clad protesters assailed the Bangkok Police Headquarters.
One police officer tried to keep the mood light.
The mob was, once again, asked to leave, but to no avail.
Time for tear gas.
There's still a debate as to whether it was the police or the protesters that threw the tear gas. Debate is probably not the right word as each side adamantly blames the other.
Seeing their fellow Thais being brutally assaulted, these dentistry students from a local university came to collect teeth off the pavement.
After a long night, the police and the mob withdrew.
The following day, protesters re-grouped at Government House, as women and children stood guard in front of one of the entrances, in case police decided to raid again.
At this time, a group of anti-protester protesters started to protest.
You may notice some differences between the protesters (yellow) and the anti-protester protesters (red). First, the yellow team is having more fun. They had to buy surrogate hands because they clapped and cheered so much.
The other difference is pretty much summed up by these two pictures.
Yellow...
Red...
Back to the protest. After a raid on another Yellow team protest location (this time police were able to evict the crowd), the police found a cache of weapons that George Bush could only dream of - gasoline, knives, a few guns, and 2,388 golf clubs.
Golf clubs, as you may not know, are the weapon of choice for a middle to upper middle class Bangkok resident, who wants to protest against a government elected by the uneducated poor.
Poor Prime Minister Samak Sundaravet. He called an emergency parliamentary session to find a solution to the civil unrest spreading across Bangkok. Recommendations ranged from "get out" to "get the f*$k out", but after 11 hours of being verbally raped (Deliverance style), Samak, in the name of Democracy, would not give in and vowed to stay on as Prime Minister.
Who me!!??
Then the bombs went off. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.
But nerves were wearing thin, tensions were running high. Something had to give. Even with cheerleaders like this...
and this to keep emotions running strong,
it was only a matter of time before somebody said something about someone else's momma.
And then, all hell broke loose.
Amazingly, only one dead body was found. A 55 year old man from Korat, who had arrived earlier in the day to show his support for the Yellow team. Some say he was bashed in the head. Other reports say he was shot in the stomach.
I bet this guy wishes he had worn a different color shirt.
In the wee hours of the morn, Samak declared a State of Emergency.
So, now the army has their chance.
Exciting days indeed.
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