By NNN-Bernama,
Bangkok : The Bangkok Metropolitan police on Thursday deployed 1,500 riot police to maintain law and order in the Thai capital during a mass rally of the anti-government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), a movement which has promised to bring down the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Thailand News Agency (TNA) reported.
The so-called Red Shirt leaders earlier announced their planned mass rally on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, near the Democracy Monument, to mark Constitution Day, December 10. The protest is scheduled to begin at noon and end peacefully around midnight.
Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is also scheduled to address his supporters via video link and lead them in a mass candle-lit ceremony to bless His Majesty King Bhumibol on the occasion of his 82th birthday.
The Red Shirt protest is being held at the same time of the government’s grand celebrations of Thai King’s birthday at nearby Royal Plaza. The government, however, has suspended Thursday activities for the King to avoid clashing with the red shirt rally.
Pol. Maj-Gen. Worasak Nopsitthiporn, deputy metropolitan police commissioner, assigned to oversee police operations during the Thursday Red Shirt rally, said 1,500 riot police are on standby at Metropolitan Police Bureau, while local police in the protest areas will oversee security during the rally to prevent third persons from ‘creating a situation’.
Worasak, however, said police will evaluate the situation according to the number of protesters and will later decide whether to close Ratchadamnoen Avenue or not, but in the meantime advise the public to avoid the avenue altogether.