The plaza in front of the Thai capital's city hall is currently a sea of red, as pro-government 'Redshirt' protesters — their bright red shirts signifying their membership in the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). The redshirt group vowed to encamp at the BMA Plaza adjacent to City Hall except on His Majesty the King's birthday on December 5th. The UDD [AKA DAAD] mass gathering prompted 11 schools in Phra Nakhon district nearby to close Monday.
The UDD had originally planned to rally at Sanam Luang, but decided to move to a square in front of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) headquarters due to preparations for the forthcoming birthday of His Majesty the King. Veera Musikhapong, Jatuporn Promphan and Korkaew Pikulthong, co-hosts of the political talk show 'Kwam Jing Wan Nee' (Truth Today), were to address the crowd from the stage at the BMA Plaza at 4pm. The Truth Today hosts said their group felt that the Constitution Court's urgency to finalise the People Power party (PPP) dissolution case on Tuesday discouraged the police from dispersing the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators who seized Government House, and Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports. They wanted the gathering to give moral support to the police. The Constitution Court is ruling on charges related to election fraud against three government coalition parties — the People Power (PPP), Matchimathipataya and Chart Thai parties — without hearing witnesses. The court ordered the defendants to deliver their closing statements on Tuesday.
