The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) is planning another major rally in Bangkok to coincide with the next big anti-government protest push, UDD chairman Jatuporn Prompan announced yesterday.
Red shirts cheer as they listen to United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship leaders speak on the second day of the three-day gathering on Utthayan Road in Bangkok’s Thawi Watthana district yesterday. Pornprom Satra bhaya
People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leader Suthep Thaugsuban told supporters on Saturday that they must take to the streets as soon as the Constitution Court rules on caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's alleged malpractice in the transfer of National Security Council chief Thawil Pliensri.
Mr Suthep said the rally could be prolonged, but would be the "final battle" to oust the caretaker government.
Addressing red-shirt supporters on the second day of the UDD gathering on Utthayan road in Bangkok's Thawi Watthana district yesterday, Mr Jatuporn said the next mass red-shirt demonstration would be held on the same day as the PDRC's, but at a different venue.
"That day will be a decisive day. Everybody will see which camp has the greater number of supporters — the UDD or the PDRC," he said.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Jatuporn said the next UDD rally in the capital will ''settle scores'' with the ammart, or elite.
Yesterday's red-shirt gathering went smoothly aside from an incident in which a man hurled a rock at Mr Jatuporn while he was greeting supporters at Phutthamonthon religious park in Nakhon Pathom, not far from the rally site. Mr Jatuporn was unhurt.
The man was arrested by security guards and taken to police for questioning. He was identified as Ekkapoj Khotasaeng from Maha Sarakham.
Deputy National Police chief Worapong Chiewpreecha said yesterday there had been no violence at Aksa Road or Lumpini Park, although police sezied five firearms from attendants to the UDD rally, which police are investigating.
PDRC core member Suriyasai Katasila claimed turnout to the UDD rally had fallen short of target because people who previously backed the Yingluck Shinawatra government are becoming aware of its failures over the past two years, particularly the rice-pledging scheme.
Mr Jatuporn had said the rally would draw half a million supporters.
Military officers in charge of security at the red-shirt protest put the number of attendants at about 35,000 at the start of the three-day rally, although former UDD chairwoman Tida Tawornseth claimed 300,000 people had turned out.
Mr Suriyasai went on to say Pheu Thai MPs had in the past played a key role in enlisting supporters in their constituencies to join red-shirt rallies.
But these politicians have slipped into ''neutral gear'' and are reluctant to canvass for support since they know they could get themselves into trouble if they help the UDD and government subsequently loses power, Mr Suriyasai said.
Mr Suriyasai added that he was surprised that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawtra had not phoned in to address the the rally.
This is probably because he is assessing if the red-shirt movement is still a force to be reckoned with, Mr Suriyasai said.
Mr Jatuporn, meanwhile claimed that the number of red-shirt demonstrators attending the rally yesterday was greater than the headcount on Saturday.
UDD legal adviser Robert Amsterdam also addressed the red-shirts via Skype on Sunday evening, criticising the PDRC's moves against the government.