Red shirts blast quelling of anti-Apec demonstration at rally 

A GROUP OF red-shirt followers held an anti-dictatorship rally near the Democracy Monument this afternoon (Nov. 20) where the government was slammed for quelling an anti-Apec protest on Saturday that left several people injured and scores arrested, Thai Rath and Matichon newspapers said.

Around 50 red-shirt demonstrators set up a stage in front of McDonald’s outlet with this being an open venue for participants to air their views.

People then took turns in giving speeches with an elderly woman criticising crowd-control police for using force in dispersing the anti-Apec march from the City Hall square to Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre on Dinso road on Saturday and asked police commanders to take responsibility and apologise to the public.

She also criticised the closure of public hospitals during the summit pointing out that this caused hardship to the people as doctors had to postpone appointments.

Reporters at the scene said political songs were played at the rally with participants singing along and dancing and that the gathering is scheduled to end at 9 p.m. today.

Anti-Apec demonstrator Phayu Daodin, who was shot in the right eye with a rubber bullet during the quelling of the anti-Apec march, has been informed by the surgeon who operated on it that he has less than 1% chance of regaining sight in that eye. He is also being monitored for infection over two to three days because if this occurs the entire eyeball would have to be removed to prevent it from spreading to the brain.

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The red-shirt rally near the Democracy monument today. Top photo: Thai Rath, other photos: Matichon

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