In Thailand, demonstrations against the military-backed government and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha have taken place, off and on, since February, interrupted by COVID-19 lockdowns until late July. On October 14, thousands of anti-government protestors rallied near Government House on the anniversary of a 1973 student uprising, calling for the resignation of Chan-o-cha and for reform of the monarchy. The following day, a state of emergency was declared, and mass gatherings were prohibited—but thousands of protesters still came out to march. Attempts by the Thai government to disrupt the rallies by shutting down public transportation systems and attempting to disrupt social-media channels have had little effect on the recent string of protests, now in their eighth day.
Photos: Prodemocracy Protests in Thailand
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Read moreA person shows the three-finger salute as prodemocracy protesters gather to demand the government to resign and to release detained leaders in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 15, 2020. The three-finger salute, adopted from the movie The Hunger Games, has become a symbol of defiance and solidarity within the movement. #
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Read moreOn October 14, 2020, Panusaya "Rung" Sithijirawattanakul, a Student Union of Thailand spokesperson, speaks from a truck as prodemocracy protesters march toward the Government House during an anti-government rally in Bangkok. #
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Read moreA protester holds flowers during an anti-government rally in Bangkok on October 14, 2020. #
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Read moreProdemocracy protesters push back against the Thai police during a demonstration on October 14, 2020, in Bangkok. #
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Read moreA vehicle carrying members of the Thai royal family passes by anti-government protesters gathered outside the Government House on October 14, 2020, in Bangkok. #
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Read moreThailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida are pictured as the motorcade drives toward the Grand Palace in Bangkok on October 14, 2020. #
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Read moreProtesters march in Bangkok on October 14, 2020. #
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Read moreProdemocracy protesters hold their phones' flashlights as they march toward Government House during a rally on October 14, 2020, in Bangkok. #
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Read moreOn October 15, 2020, Thai riot police forced protesters to retreat from Government House in Bangkok. #
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Read moreA prodemocracy protester reacts as police try to detain him during a rally in Bangkok on October 15, 2020, after Thailand issued an emergency decree following an anti-government demonstration the previous day. #
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Read moreA detained protester gestures inside a prison vehicle in Bangkok on October 15, 2020. #
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Read moreA prodemocracy protester with a child on his shoulders holds up the three-finger salute during a demonstration in Bangkok on October 15, 2020. #
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Read moreProdemocracy protesters make the three-finger salute during a demonstration in Bangkok on October 15, 2020. #
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Read morePolice officers stand in line as they close a road near Ratchaprasong Junction, in Bangkok on October 16, 2020. #
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Read moreProdemocracy protesters gather for an anti-government rally in Bangkok on October 16, 2020. #
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Read moreA man pushes against police officers on October 16, 2020. #
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Read morePeople are sprayed with water and tear gas shot from water cannons during an anti-government protest in Bangkok on October 16, 2020. #
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Read moreA prodemocracy protester gives the middle finger as police fire water cannons on October 16, 2020. #
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Read moreA person is hit by a water cannon on October 16, 2020. #
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Read moreProdemocracy protesters face off against riot police during an anti-government rally on October 16, 2020, in Bangkok. #
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Read moreRiot police using water cannons move in on prodemocracy protesters on October 16, 2020. #
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Read moreProdemocracy demonstrators face water cannons as police try to clear the protest venue in Bangkok on October 16, 2020. #
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Read moreA demonstrator washes her face with water after police water cannons dispersed people on October 16, 2020. #
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Read moreProdemocracy protesters hold up their mobile phones during an anti-government rally in Bangkok on October 17, 2020, as they continue to defy an emergency decree banning gatherings. #
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Read moreProdemocracy protesters attend a rally at Rama IX Park, with dinosaur sculptures in the background, on October 18, 2020, in Phuket, Thailand. #
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Read moreProdemocracy protesters use hand gestures and signs to communicate with one another in Bangkok on October 18, 2020. #
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Read moreA prodemocracy protester jokingly uses a traffic cone as a loudspeaker during an anti-government rally at Victory Monument in Bangkok on October 18, 2020. #
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Read moreProdemocracy activists flash three-fingered salutes during a demonstration at Kaset intersection, in the suburbs of Bangkok, on October 19, 2020. #
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Read moreA sign directed at Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha is held up by a prodemocracy protester during a rally in the outskirts of Bangkok on October 19, 2020. #
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Read moreA dog is seen in a bubble backpack carrier during an anti-government rally at Kaset intersection in Bangkok on October 19, 2020. #
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Read moreProdemocracy activists flash three-fingered salutes while listening to the national anthem outside Siam Paragon, one of the largest shopping malls in Bangkok, on October 20, 2020. #
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Read moreOn October 21, 2020, prodemocracy activists marched to the Government House, the prime minister's office, during a protest march in Bangkok. #
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Read moreRiot police stand guard behind barbed wire as prodemocracy protesters march in Bangkok on October 21, 2020. #
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Read moreProdemocracy activists march to the Government House in Bangkok on October 21, 2020. #
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