Thai youth have been challenging the agglomeration ban issued as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 pandemic almost daily since last week. The first demonstration, carried out by the “Free Youth Movement” attracted more than 2,000 activists, one of the largest anti-government proposals since the coup in 2014.
At the Sunday rally, protesters sang a modified version of the theme song for Hamtaro, the popular Japanese series of a hamster who loves sunflower seeds. People ran in circles around the Bangkok Democracy Monument, imitating hamsters running on a wheel.
"The most delicious food is taxpayer money," they sang. "Dissolve parliament! Dissolve parliament! Dissolve parliament! ”, They continued.
— หลิวนูน่า lll (@feifeiliu77) July 26, 2020The leaders of the Free Youth Movement mentioned that they will return to the streets for another large-scale demonstration this week if their demands are not met, including the dissolution of parliament, the revision of a constitution written by the military, and the cessation of harassment of the government critics.
Some of the protests have been whimsical in tone, but protesters have declared their political goals serious. “Adults may think that if we do this, then we will not be taken seriously. But this is the way for a new generation, "commented a 20-year-old protester who identified herself as Fah. "We are doing this differently in hopes that something will change."
