Red-shirts from both the Phan Fa Bridge and Ratchaprasong intersection rally sites converged on the Thaicom satellite station in Pathum Thani's Lat Lum Kaeo district on Friday, determined to get their satellite-based television station, the People Channel, back on air.
Natthawut Saikua, a core leader of the United front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), announced at the Ratchaprasong rally stage earlier that the red-shirts would go to the Thaicom station to take it back from the soldiers and then reopen the satellite-based PTV."We are marching now to ask them why they closed down People Channel and what rights they have to shut out our eyes and ears," Mr Natthawut announced on stage.
He said the red-shirts would not return to their main rally sites until they succeeded in their aim.
The red-shirts TV station was shut down soon after the government declared a state of emergency on Wednesday evening. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva defended the shutdown of the station that it came after the channel aired distorted information and affected national security.
About 6,000 soldiers were reported to be deployed inside and around the Thaicom station to prevent the red-shirts from entering the ground. Another 600 police were deployed out front to confront the protesters.
About 700 red-shirts on Thursday tried to enter the Thaicom station but were blocked by more than 1,000 soldiers.
Within half an hour of Mr Natthawut's announcement, the Centre for Public Administration in Emergency Situations (CPAES) issued an announcement warning outsiders against trespassing on the Thaicom facility at Lat Lum Kaeo.
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