More than 1,000 demonstrators in Thailand today gathered in the capital Bangkok, preparing to launch a democratic rally. Since the Thai police only arrested 21 protesters yesterday, the situation has fallen into high tension.
Since July, Thailand has set off a wave of demonstrations, protesting masses calling for a thorough reform of the government, and demanding the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Some people even demanded reform of the Thai royal family.
The convoy carrying the King and Queen of Thailand is expected to pass by the Democracy Monument in Bangkok this afternoon. Anon Numpa, a famous protester and one of the key figures in demanding royal reforms, called on the protesters gathered here to stay calm And respect.
He said: “The opponent will be provocative, so please trust me, we don’t want to conflict with anyone. When the royal convoy arrives, don’t swear.”
Yesterday, protesters held a temporary rally at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok. The police tried to clear the area for King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s motorcade, which triggered a conflict between the police and the people. The police arrested 21 protesters who were “uncooperative”. .
When the royal motorcade drove past the Democracy Monument, the remaining dozens of protesters raised their three-fingered salute. This was a gesture they borrowed from the movie “Hunger Games.”
Bangkok police said that as of 10 o’clock this morning, more than 1,000 protesters once again gathered at the Democracy Monument, and the police deployed about 14,000 police officers to control the situation.
Today’s demonstration is to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the October 14th incident of the Thai Student Movement in 1973. At that time, students protested against the dictatorship of the Thai military dictatorship but attracted military suppression. The incident resulted in 77 deaths.