The military crackdown started at dawn. Armoured vehicles rolled towards the Red Shirts fortifed encampment in Bangkok’s central business district. Soldiers took up positions outside barricades made with tyres, bamboo stakes and razor wire. These defences soon crumbled. Gun battles left several people dead, including an Italian journalist. For the past six weeks, Red Shirts had campaigned for elections to replace the administration of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. But political and judicial institutions failed to solve the political deadlock and in the end, authorities had to resort to full military crackdown.