Advertisement
Thailand protests
AsiaSoutheast Asia

Thailand’s pro-democracy protesters rally despite Covid-19 warnings from authorities

  • The marches coincided with the 89th anniversary of the Siamese Revolution, which transformed Thailand from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy
  • Some demonstrators carried signs that read “Abolish 112”, a reference to the kingdom’s harsh royal defamation laws

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
1
Pro-democracy supporters display the three-fingered symbol during a demonstration in Bangkok. photo: AP
Agence France-Presse
Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters rallied in Bangkok on Thursday to call for the government’s resignation, defying warnings from authorities about the kingdom’s soaring coronavirus cases.

The marches came on the 89th anniversary of the Siamese Revolution – the uprising that transformed Thailand from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy.

Bangkok was rocked by near-daily protests against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s government in the second half of 2020, but the pro-democracy movement has lost steam after virus outbreaks and the jailing of student leaders.

Authorities have clamped down on public gatherings as the kingdom grapples with a third wave of infections, with its daily case number hovering around the 3,000 mark.

Despite police warnings, hundreds gathered at Democracy Monument, a major intersection in Bangkok, and marched in the direction of Parliament House to protest against the rule of Prayuth, the former military chief who came to power in a 2014 coup.

01:50

Thai protesters back on the streets to mark Siamese Revolution that ended absolute monarchy

Thai protesters back on the streets to mark Siamese Revolution that ended absolute monarchy

Early-bird protesters gathered at the intersection before dawn for a candlelight ceremony.

Advertisement