'Costumes, art, pools': Myanmar protesters bring creativity in anti-military protests

Citizens in Myanmar have taken to the streets for the fifth day straight to protest against the military coup, however as nationwide demonstrations swelled, many brought creativity to send out their message against military ‘dictatorship’. From a few dozen citizens, the anti-Junta demonstrations in Myanmar have congregated tens of thousands, including urban artists, beauty peasants, painters, writers, macho men, designers, writers, among many others seen in flashy costumes holding explicit signage to rebuke the military’s seizure of country’s political power. 

A group of creative thinkers and writers launched witty civil disobedience movement, drawing inspiration from "Milk Tea Alliance”, a pro-democracy movement that spread across Hong Kong to Taiwan and Thailand where protesters flashed placards with colourful witty liners, with a slight tinge of humour. Among the protesting crowd, on-ground reporters spotted shirtless men, artists with cool haircuts, men in batman attire, a masked Ghostrider, and womenin ball gowns. Reporters of Myanmar Times spotted a group of shirtless bodybuilders from Myanmar’s National Team that joined the country’s protests with posters that demanded the military to release the democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 

"This situation is so bad, even the introverts are here", read a placard. "My ex is bad, but Myanmar military is worse," one other placard in the protest read. "Our dreams are higher than MAL's height," read third cardboard, as images from Myanmar's protests flooded social media. 

[Protesters on inflatable tubes display the anti-coup message. Credit: Twitter/@ShweYee30302064]

[Protesters dressed in super-hero costumes flash anti-military coup placards. Credit: Twitter/@keren_khin]

[Cosplayers participate in protests with their creativity. Credit: Twitter/@keren_khin]

[Hikers sit in tents to protest. Credit: Twitter/@HsuMyatKyaw18]

[Dogs and Dinosaurs join protests. Credit: Twitter/@AyeNyeinSan14]

[Ghosts join the Myanmar protests. Credit: Twitter/@AyeNyeinSan14]

[Pets join the movement. Credit: Twitter/@YunyiLan]

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Some protesters were found shouting slogans from the inflatable pools outside the Japanese embassy in Yangon to appeal Japanese government to intervene in the matter. A group of brides, meanwhile, paraded in taffeta and wedding gowns to protest against the coup. A bodybuilder, Min Khant was quoted by ANI as saying, “We steer clear of party politics but cannot accept the forced transfer of power so we joined protests. Bodybuilders stand together with people. The world will know the wishes of Myanmar’s bodybuilders and athletes through the protest.”

Young crowd says 'will protest cleverly'

A protesting youngster named Moe Myat Theingi, who came up with the creative pool idea, told state broadcasters that Generation Z is smart and is striving to get creative with protest to gain international attention. “We will protest cleverly,” he said. Young ladies, meanwhile, were seen in ball gowns in ‘princess protest’, and told reporters that they wanted to show that the young girls were also against the military coup. Cosplayers, in Halloween spooky ghost attires, and others in the costume of DC comics characters were also seen flashing placards. Many urban artists also took to the streets to paint graffiti on random walls to protest against the coup. 

Read: Myanmar Crisis: Protesters Return To Streets In Huge Numbers Despite Police Violence

Read: Woman Shot In Head During Protest As Myanmar Police Fires Warning Shots; 3 More Injured