Thailand: Thousands of protesters take to streets to protest against government

Thailand’s capital saw thousands of anti-government protestors take to the streets on July 18 to demand a new constitution, new elections and an end to repressive laws.  According to reports, the demonstrators mainly consisted of young people and converged on Bangkok’s iconic Democracy Monument while chanting slogans and waving placards.

Demonstrators take to the streets

As per reports, Thailand declared a state of emergency in March due to the growing coronavirus pandemic and this recent protest which was organized by the Liberation Youth group was the biggest anti-government movement since the emergency was declared. Even before the declaration of emergency, Thailand saw huge protests against former Army chief Prayut Chan-o-cha but the protest lost its momentum once the number of coronavirus cases started rising and the country declared an emergency.

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The protest in Thailand before the emergency was declared, revolved around a court ruling in February which effectively dissolved the pro-democracy opposition party. The Future Forward party’s supporters believe that the party was unjustly targeted because it was gaining in popularity (mostly young voters) and was also critical of the current regime and the military.

According to reports, the demonstrations on July 18 saw speeches being made about demands for sweeping changes, a radical rap group was also present at the rally and sang a popular political song. The organisers of the event have claimed that the rally attracted around 2,000 participants with more arriving in the evening. The authorities responded by deploying the police and trying to prevent the demonstrators from occupying the streets and areas.

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The emergency declared by the government allowed it to swiftly tackle the coronavirus but the ruling political party had not relinquished its emergency powers and is using them as a political weapon against the demonstrations. The police reported set up large speakers near the rally and blasted messages that claimed that emergency was still in effect and this gathering by demonstrators was illegal.