Red shirts stage protest in Thailand

In Thailand, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship - also known as the Red-Shirts - have staged a rally in the capital Bangkok. By Thursday afternoon, some 3,000 red-shirts were protesting near the Democracy Monument.

Demonstrators hold a portrait of exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra during a rally at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok December 10, 2009. Thousands of red-shirted protesters  gathered to press their demands for fresh  elections. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

The red-shirts claim they are gathering in a bid to demand for democracy, as Thursday marks Thailand's Constitution Day. The crowd was expected to swell in the evening, with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to address his supporters via video-link from exile. Meanwhile, in a bid to maintain law and order, security check points by policemen have been set up surrounding the rally site.