Thai opposition warns of more street protests after thousands ‘stand up and fight’ at Bangkok rally
- People rally in Bangkok in one of the largest political demonstrations since a 2014 coup
- Opposition party’s progressive, antimilitary agenda has struck a chord with the young
Thailand’s highest-profile opposition party warned of more demonstrations after drawing thousands of people to an anti-government rally that also protested the prospect of its looming dissolution.
The crowd assembled on an elevated walkway in a Bangkok shopping district on Saturday, three days after the Election Commission said it will petition a court to break up Future Forward for breaching financing rules, a charge the party rejects.
“This is an opportunity for people who are against the current regime to come out and show their power,” Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, 41, said in a briefing before the rally. At the gathering, he indicated the party would take to the streets next month.
Future Forward is less than two years old but surged in March’s general election, which came after almost five years of military rule. It’s part of a sizeable opposition bloc in parliament that questions the fairness of the poll and its aftermath.
A pro-military coalition led by former junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha took office after the disputed vote with a razor-thin majority.