Thousands of anti-government protesters this evening occupied the busy Lat Phrao intersection for what they described as an “anti-coup rehearsal” to highlight their opposition to possible military intervention.
The protest was organized by the so-called “Ratsadorn Group” whose key members claimed there had been rumours about a possible military coup.
“We are here today to oppose military intervention – rumours of which we have been hearing about everyday,” said Panussaya Sitthijirawattanakul, a leader of the protest movement.
Panassayu said the protesters wanted to send out a message that the people would not tolerate another military coup. “We want to see more people out on the streets for future demonstrations to show that they will not take things sitting down,” he said.
Army Commander-in-Chief Gen NarongphanJitkaewtae has ruled out the possibility of a military coup to end to ongoing political crisis. He said the media were too obsessed with coup rumours.
The protesters began gathering at the intersection at around 4 pm and their number swelled to thousands at nightfall. Protest leaders reiterated their key demands for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign, a new constitution to be adopted and the monarchy be reformed.
The rally, which was largely peaceful, ended at around 10.30 pm.