Red Shirt Protests at Thai Rath Newspaper Office

 | Fri 3 May 2013 14:53 ICT

CityNews – On 3rd May, 11.30 a.m., a group of over 30 Red Shirts in a group called ‘Rak Chiang Mai 51’ were led by Petchawat Wattanapongsirikul, a consultant of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, to protest in front of the Thai Rath Daily Newspaper Office.


They were angry about the speech of Chai Ratchawat, a famous Thai cartoonist who posted a Facebook comment insulting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The protesters held signs bearing slogans such as “Don’t Touch My PM” and “You are a Pimp, Chai Ratchawat” (which is considered a huge insult in Thai culture). They also placed wreaths and coffins in front of the office, signifying death wishes for the cartoonist. However, the protest did not become physically violent.

After the protest, the Red Shirts went to Chiang Mai City Police Station to record what they considered crimes against the prime minister in the police blotter. Initially, the police refused to record it, saying that no real crime had been committed, but eventually, after much negotiation, they agreed to at least record the incident in order to appease the protestors’ demands.