From a New Mandala reader:
The attached series of photographs was taken on Saturday evening April 17th around 10PM in and around the Central Bangkok/Rajprasong main demonstration site for the Red Shirt protests. There is nothing “spectacular” or particularly newsworthy in the photos. In fact, they are rather ordinary and hopefully will communicate how surprisingly “everyday” and more or less peaceful the red shirt gathering and red shirt demonstrators are. Not at all the image of out-of-control and dangerous barbarian hordes the present Thailand government is promoting so relentlessly. Thailand citizens of all ages, gathered in a public space listening to their various leaders deliver speeches in a peaceful way. Food stalls, souvenir stands, handclappers, banners, flags, lines of porta-potties, families, groups of people from the same neighborhoods, towns and villages.