In a counter-protest to the red-shirted United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, pink-shirted Thais rallied at a Bangkok park on Friday.

The Bangkok Post has reported that the group, gathered around a statue of King Rama VI, swore to protect Thailand.

Vasit Dejkunchorn, former deputy director-general of police, and Charas Suwanmala, a political scientist and dean at Chulalongkorn University, led the Network for Peace, calling on everyone involved in recent political strife to work within the system. Members of the group signed a petition against dissolving parliament and amendments to the Constitution aimed at protecting individual politicians.

The incessant demonstrations threaten to paralyze the industry, Apichart Sankaray, an adviser to the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations, said.

Apichart said, "The decline has reached a point where we risk losing visitors for the long term. We want all sides to find a way out of this mess as quickly as possible."

Pink shirts exchanged insults with red shirts who, walked past the rally on their way to the U.S. Embassy. The UDD plans a large rally Saturday. (With Inputs from Agencies)