Thai protesters demanding reforms take to the streets of Bangkok and march to Government House

BANGKOK: Anti-government protesters held a large rally at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok on Wednesday (October 14) calling for the end of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s administration, the amendment of the statutes and the reform of the monarchy.

They began meeting around 8 a.m. after a sudden change of plan in the early hours of Wednesday, advancing the protest originally scheduled for 2 p.m.

“The sources reported that there are groups that are trying to gain control of the area and the perimeter; before the time of the previous meeting (2:00 pm) to obstruct the demonstration of the Popular Party, “said a statement released by the protesters.

“For that reason, the Popular Party will have to advance the schedule from 14 to 8 in the morning of October 14, because we have to take control of the area of ​​the Monument to Democracy first of all.”

Protesters successfully occupied the area Wednesday morning. A human chain was formed to protect their mobile stage as groups of government supporters and royalists in yellow shirts took to the streets in the same area.

Yellow is associated with the monarchy in Thailand. Several security officers were also among the yellow shirts.

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Led by youth, some say Wednesday’s rally could be an important moment for Thai politics after a 2014 coup by Prayut. The then army chief and current prime minister would control Thailand for five years, before an election in 2019 installed his political party in government.

The rally is driven by a coalition of youth groups from across the country, collectively known as the Popular Party. The name is a symbolic reference to a group of revolutionaries behind Thailand’s transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy in 1932.

Since the morning, trucks full of yellow-clad supporters had been seen entering Ratchadamnoen Avenue, where anti-government protesters gathered. Several of them belong to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

A royal caravan was expected to pass by on the road and several people dressed in yellow were present to welcome the royal family.

According to the Royal Thai Police, some 15,000 police officers were deployed on Wednesday.

At around 1.30pm, protesters began removing potted plants on the steps of the Democracy Monument, a symbolic move to reclaim the public space that represents democracy in Thailand. The monument was erected in commemoration of the 1932 revolution.

The potted plants had been placed there by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration on July 18 before an anti-government demonstration.

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The protesters then began marching toward Government House, located about 2.5 km away. The march started around 2:30 p.m.

The protesters managed to break through the blockades and security officers at the Thewa Kam intersection before heading to Nakhon Sawan Road.

There, they were again blocked by policemen and police buses. The protest leaders managed to negotiate with authorities to let them pass, but police said 50 million would do so at a time.

The protesters arrived at Government House around 6 pm, filling Phitsanulok Road. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the area and were expected to remain there overnight.

The Popular Party rally came after a parliamentary session on September 24, when lawmakers decided not to vote on six proposed statute amendments tabled by the ruling coalition and opposition parties. Instead, a committee was formed to study the proposals for a month first.

The move was said to be an attempt by the government to delay changes to the constitution despite months of pressure from the public.