The All Shirt Rally In Bangkok
No color
The Red Shirts have taken off the shirts and put on other colored shirts to make it harder for the police and army to catch them when they leave or enter the protest site. With no color on the shirts the protesters can hardly be arrested and it will make it more difficult for the army to crack down on them.
Swine Flue
Some of the Red Shirts have gotten swine flu inside the camp near world trade and they are treated at the police hospital of all places nearby.
No TV
Someone has distributed the signal of the state TV when the Thai PM was supposed to speak. He made a tape recording and before it broadcasted, everything went black for a few minutes. I think most of the people in Thailand thought that a coup was eminent.
Flip Flopping on crack down
The Army changes their views back and forward during the week regarding the eminent crack down. For now, it looks like they are supporting a crackdown.
Time is running out
The Red Shirts do not have manpower enough to march out again, most of the reds are tired and if they leave their camp the army can close it. Nevertheless, if they not push hard enough the Thai government might just let them stay there until they leave or get so few they cannot fight back. If the rain season comes soon the rest of the Red Shirts will probably leave. The governments on the other hand need to make the Red Shirts leave so they not look like total fools.
No Luxury bag is worth dying for
The Reds have closed down one of the most visited mall in Bangkok and people have stopped from buying luxury goods. However, the same Reds could never afford any of these bags. So will the Thai government and army want to kill people so that people can buy more luxury goods? The Reds will just come back in a few weeks or month and start all over.
No money worth dying for
I know you all heard that people paid to join the Red Shirts movement and I can reveal to you Thailand big secret that most people pay people from all camps not only Red Shirts get money to vote or demonstrate. However, the hard-core reds that are left now ready to die do not do it for the money.
Yes i know plenty of people with money that joined the rally even if they are not there everyday.
I agree with much of what you said, particularly about the payment of those who attend protests. Some get more money than others, while some get nothing, but believe they are battling for a better future. It is a real mix of people and contrary to what some people believe there are middle class and even what people like to call ‘upper class’ people supporting the reds, although they will tend to sit on the side of things now and wait and see what happens in the coming hours and days.