Thai anti-government protesters gather front of the Democracy Monument in Bangkok, Thailand, July 18, 2020.
Several thousand anti-government protesters took to the streets in Thailand’s capital Saturday to demand amendments to the military-written constitution, new parliamentary elections and the end of repressive laws in the country.
The protest, organized by the Liberation Youth group, was the largest since the government declared a state of emergency in March to deal with the coronavirus pandemic outbreak.
Since then, the restrictive measures and social distancing have helped the government contain the spread of the virus, but they have also used as political weapons, to contain protests.
Saturday’s 2,500 demonstrators gathered around Bangkok's iconic Democracy Monument in the old part of the city, defying the ban on public gatherings to chant anti-government slogans and wave placards expressing their demands.