Red Shirts back on the streets

Thousands of anti-government "Red Shirt" protesters defied an state of emergency in Thailand's capital Bangkok yesterday to stage their first major demonstration since their street protests were ended by a deadly military crackdown in May.

It marked the fourth anniversary of a 2006 military coup that toppled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The Red Shirts include Thaksin supporters as well as activists opposed to the military.

Thousands of people gathered at Bangkok's Rajprasong intersection, a glitzy shopping district that was occupied by the group from April to May. The crowd, exuberant but peaceful, spilled into the street and stopped traffic, while hundreds of police stood by in case of trouble.

The Red Shirt protests earlier this year deteriorated into violence that turned many parts of Bangkok into a virtual war zone, leaving about 90 people dead.