Hundreds of Red Shirt protesters defied a state of emergency and gathered for a demonstration in Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday, where they called for early elections. At least ninety demonstrators linked to the Red Shirt movement were killed in two months of clashes with security forces that ended in April.
The bloodshed continues today in Bangkok as the Red Shirt protesters refuse to step down and abandon their posts in Central Bangkok, despite government demands and threats.
User isalex112507 captured a series of videos from a clash yesterday, which he calls "The Battle of Bon Kai."
This video sets the scene on Rama 4 roadway where the Red Shirts and the Thai army are facing off against one another. Gunshots can be heard clearly in the background:
Here, the cameraman is positioned with several Thai men inside a building between where the Reds and the army are shooting at each other.
Here you can see protesters hiding behind large barricades made of tires:
This video shows a Red Shirt throwing a C4 grenade at the military, which shoots back at him in turn:
We continue to add videos to this playlist on CitizenTube.
For the past three days, since Seh Daeng, defected Thai army officer and leader of anti-government protesters, was shot in the head, violence has raged in downtown Bangkok.
The protesters, known as the "Red Shirts", have taken to the streets again to demand the return of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was expelled from the country after a coup in 2006. The Thai military, which clashed violently with the Red Shirt protesters in early April, has taken up arms again to crack down against the mounting dissent.
Since last Thursday, more than 30 people have been killed, and over 230 are injured, and attempted negotiations between the two parties do not look promising.
Some video footage of these recent clashes has surfaced on YouTube, though not as much as was uploaded during the April protests. We cannot verify when or where these videos were taken, and are thus relying in each case on the information provided by the uploader.
This clip, taken from above the Rama 4 roadway in Bangkok, shows a group of protesters in the streets scattering after gunshots are fired. As the person holding the camera starts to run, the focus of the image is lost, but you can clearly hear the commotion as people run for safety.
User reggaejames also appears to be at the Rama 4 scene, but on the ground level. He has a series of videos on his channel that shows before, during, and after the gunfire.
This video allegedly shows snipers in the Thai military shooting at Red Shirt protesters:
For more videos from Thailand, check out this playlist, which we will continue to update.
On Saturday, protesters in Thailand known as the "Red Shirts" (for wearing red clothing as they march in the streets), clashed violently with police forces. The Red Shirts have been calling for the dissolution of Parliament, the ousting of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and a new round of elections for the last month, but this weekend, tensions rose as security forces quelled the demonstrations. 17 civilians were killed and hundreds more were injured.
Dozens of eyewitness videos are being uploaded to YouTube documenting Saturday's unrest.
This video, taken and narrated by the user Thaifaq, who was in the crowd, shows how the scene turned from peaceful to deadly in a matter of moments. The music that never ceases playing in the background of this clip makes the events that unfold in the footage even more chilling.
Here's an extremely graphic video uploaded yesterday, showing a man who's just been shot in the head. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
And here is a playlist, which we will continue to update, of other videos allegedly taken in Bangkok this past weekend:
CitizenTube is YouTube's News and Politics Blog. Here you'll find important breaking news videos from citizens; developing trends in the use of YouTube by news organizations, activists, politicians, and governments; and lots of other YouTube goodness. Hit us up on Twitter, @citizentube, if you see something worth posting here.
