[4][5] In February 2010, Abhisit tightened security in anticipation of the Supreme Court's ruling to seize former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's bank accounts, frozen since the 2006 military coup.

[7][8] After initial UDD unilateral demands for an early election were unsuccessful, dozens of M79 grenade attacks occurred far from Phan Fa, but there were no injuries and no arrests.

[12] On the evening of 13 May, General Khattiya Sawasdiphol ("Seh Daeng"), security advisor to the protesters and leader of the armed "Ronin" guards known as the black shirts, was shot in the head by a sniper's bullet while he was giving an interview to press.

In December 2009, pro-Abhisit academic Jermsak Pinthong wrote an influential article in Naew Na [th] newspaper where he said that the nation was already in a state of civil war, although the slaughter had yet to begin.

[35] The perpetrator was arrested; he confessed and claimed that he threw the bags because he was fed up with police indifference to his complaints of people smoking cigarettes near his house.

[34] On the evening of 15 February, police and soldiers established scores of checkpoints and organised special patrols in inner Bangkok as reports from government security agencies continued to play up fears of anti-government rallies.

The protesters arrived in Bangkok in smaller numbers than announced, wearing Thaksin face designs on their red tee shirts, flags, and banners.

He denied the existence of a so-called blacklist "with 212 names of Thaksin's close relatives and associates, UDD leaders and activists, politicians from the opposition Pheu Thai Party, and even monks who appeared sympathetic to the Red Shirt cause".

[40] In northeast Thailand, supporters of Abhisit's government issued threats against protesters to deter them from travelling to the Bangkok and provincial governors were ordered to obstruct the movement of people.

[54] As of Friday 12 March, police and military checkpoints were set up along all main routes leading to Bangkok to inspect protesters approaching the capital.

As usual, the majority of the crowd were UDD Red Shirt activists who travelled from northern provinces to demonstrate, but there also appeared to be some local support lining the streets.

Shortly after the demonstrations in mid-March, state spokesman Thepthai scoffed at the apparent support for the UDD, claiming that each protester was given between 2,000 and 3,000 baht for participating.

The state of emergency permitted the military to detain people it considered a threat to national security, censor the media, and forbid gatherings of more than five persons.

[68] On the afternoon and evening of 10 April, violent clashes occurred when government troops unsuccessfully tried to take back control of the Phan Fa Lilat Bridge protest site.

[69] Shots and tear gas grenades were fired near the Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge close to the United Nations Bangkok Headquarters Building during the afternoon as troops unsuccessfully attempted to take back the protest area.

Doctored video footage also purported to show people of an unknown affiliation but in support of the protesters (often referred to as "Black Shirts") firing weapons from the tops of buildings.

On 16 April, Thai security service officers entered the SC Park Hotel to arrest the protest leaders whom the Deputy Prime Minister, Suthep Thaugsuban, called "terrorists".

"[82] On 16 April, Prime Minister Abhisit relieved Suthep from his security responsibilities and replaced him with the Commander of the Royal Thai Army, General Anupong Paochinda.

"[86] On the days leading up to 22 April, pro-government ("no color" or "multicolor shirts")[85] rallies appeared in Bangkok alongside anti-government demonstrations for the first time.

[84] According to BBC reporter Alastair Leithead, a small group of people "walked through police lines and started throwing bottles and stones towards barricades manned by Red Shirt protesters."

"[88] On the evening of 22 April, around 20:00,[85] a series of explosions in Bangkok alleged by the government to have been the work of Red Shirt protesters killed one person and injured 86 more, including at least four foreigners.

[91] Suthep stated, "the M79 launcher had a 400-metre shooting range and it was clear that it was shot from behind the King Rama VI Monument where the Red Shirts are rallying".

[94] The move prompted King Bhumibol Adulyadej to break his silence on the protests, telling the group of newly appointed judges of courts of justice to show steadfastness and to carry out their duties "strictly and honestly.

Security forces then began to push forward, and drive protesters back down the highway using live ammunition, and fighting resumed after a temporary calm.

[101] Abhist told reporters, "We are sending a clear signal that we've given a lot of time for people to leave Ratchaprasong ... we are now in the process of cutting off support and seal the area off before we actively move in.

Due to food and water shortages as a result of the army blockade, it was estimated the protesters would only be able to hold out for a few more days, and after that have to start plundering local shops.

[127] On 19 May, the army launched an all-out assault using APCs and defeated Red Shirts defences, leaving at least five dead, including an Italian journalist and two soldiers were seriously wounded in a grenade attack.

There were an arson at the Central World mall, Stock Exchange of Thailand, banks, at least two shopping centres, a TV station, a cinema which burned to the ground.

[135][136][137] Autopsy results showed that Polenghi died from a high velocity bullet that entered his heart and caused damage to his lungs and liver.

[143] According to US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, "...the TRCT's final report seems to give a balanced treatment to both sides involved in the political violence two years ago—alleging that both the UDD and government security forces, including the military, were responsible for escalating the situation.