Crowds turn out as party finally finds some colour
Blue and yellow were popular colours yesterday at Sanam Luang, where more than 50,000 people from every part of the country and all walks of life attended the Democrat Party's rally - held for the first time in Bangkok since the dissolution of the House in February.
The rally almost filled the Sanam Luang area, with many more standing outside to listen to speeches made by party MPs and leader Abhisit Vejjajiva. Some brought garden chairs, others sat on the ground. Most seemed to be Democrat Party supporters as they waved blue and yellow flags. Many wore headbands carrying the names of their home provinces; others carried cloth banners emblazoned with the names of provinces such as Nakhon Nayok, Lop Buri, Chanthaburi, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi and Kamphaeng Phet. Party MPs who made speeches showed a more aggressive stance than before, even chanting the now-common slogan "Thaksin. Get Out" used by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). The audience was orderly, especially when Abhisit gave his speech. Rachaen Noochai, 39, a businessman from Lat Krabang district in Bangkok, said: "The Democrat Party's role since the anti-Thaksin movement was a little too insignificant. It went at too slow a pace." He added that he had previously joined PAD rallies, but quit after Sondhi began to speak too emotionally, not rationally. He went on to say he would go and join the other parties' rallies to hear what they had to say. Amornsri Vijitamornsakul, 24, an Abac University student, came with five friends. She said she was there to show support for the Democrat Party and her favourite politicians, Abhisit and Kriengsak Chareonwongsak. None of them had joined a PAD rally before. Wisit Noisamran, 48, a village headman in Prachuap Khiri Khan, said he had driven to Bangkok to find out about the current political situation. He said his house was a long way from areas where he can buy newspapers and the television stations available to him had reported only one-sided information. "I believe Thaksin controlled the mass media," he said. He said he was gathering information for his family and fellow villagers and was planning to join the PAD rally and then go home immediately afterwards. A man who identified himself only as Joe said he had travelled by bus to Bangkok from Narathiwat for three days. He believed more than 100 people had also travelled with him to Sanam Luang to give their support to the Democrat Party, adding that it was his first anti-Thaksin rally. However, he plans to join the PAD rally and will stay for "however long it took", he said. Kornchanok Raksaseri The Nation
|
