After waving the rainbow flag high and singing the Hamtaro theme song, pro-democracy protesters next week will take their rally into the world of wizarding.
Student activists of the Mahanakorn for Democracy Group and KU Daily announced yesterday they will host a Harry Potter-themed rally against the government.
“The country has long been dominated by the dark power of the Death Eaters and Dementors,” they wrote online, citing the series’ villainous characters.
“There are murders, forced disappearances, assaults and threats against those who oppose evil power. People are so much in fear they don’t dare to say the devil’s name out loud,” it continued, seeming to refer to Potter’s archnemesis Lord Voldemort, the dark lord called by those who fear him as You-Know-Who. “Now it’s time democracy-loving wizards and muggles unite to protest for their rights, freedom, fraternity and return power to the people’s hands.”
The protest will take place at 6:30pm on Monday at the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue.
“Bring your magic wands, if you can’t find one, chopsticks work too,” the announcement said. “Pro-democracy wizards will help transform the chopsticks into magic wands, like someone transforms a minister’s watch into his friend’s and heroin into flour.”
Since July 18, protests have taken places in several parts of Thailand – often led by student activists and the younger generation – to demand Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha to step down and dissolve the parliament after further consolidating power through his government’s pandemic lockdown measures.
In response, the army’s powerful commander in chief has warned protesters to halt their open display of anti-monarchy sentiments.
The movement has also called out the government for the harassment and alleged abduction and murder of its critics. Last month, Thai exile in Cambodia Wanchalerm Satsaksit was seen abducted near his apartment. He hasn’t been seen since and is feared dead.
Saturday’s protest at the Democracy Monument was held under an LGBT theme and called for gender equality. On Sunday it mocked the government as Japanese cartoon hamster Hamtaro, who is always hungry for people’s tax money.
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