Thai students hold rally outside Education Ministry

Thai high school students held a rally in front of the Education Ministry in Bangkok on Wednesday, as the youth-led pro-democracy movement spread.

It comes as pro-democracy hashtags linked to high school protests were trending on social media with photographs and videos showing young students at schools in a number of cities lined up on playgrounds and giving three-fingered salutes during the compulsory daily singing of the national anthem.

The displays of solidarity began last week and are a remarkable show of defiance within an educational system that stresses obedience to elders.

They appear to be growing after the largest anti-government rally in six years was held in Bangkok on Sunday and highlight how the student-led protest movement is capturing the imagination of many young people after six years of relative political quiet.

The student-led protest movement has declared three core demands: holding new elections, amending the constitution and ending the intimidation of critics of the government.

At Sunday’s large Bangkok rally they spelled out three more points: no more coups, no national unity government and upholding Thailand as a democracy with the king as head of state under the constitution.