Around 30-50 people demonstrated at Srinakharinwirot University’s (SWU) Prasrarnmit campus for political reform to pave the way for a state welfare society that respects people as equals.

A speaker giving a speech at SWU.

The protest began around 17.00 with iLaw, a legal watchdog NGO, calling for people to join their attempt to submit 50,000 signatures for a constitutional amendment. So far, over 6,000 have signed up.

Many people looking like plainclothes police officers were deployed at the venue.

People are signing up with iLaw for constitution amendment.

Speeches were made about inequality, state welfare and educational problems which can be improved by better politics.

A student from the SWU Demonstration School said many institutions have intimidated students against participating in public gatherings. His family mocked him for going to the Free Youth protest. His teacher deterred him from composing an art project about politics. The threatening attitude from many schools shows that they see students as slaves rather than equal human beings.

He urged people to call for rights, freedom and the future.

One speaker sent a message to the Nation, a pro-government media outlet which was present at the demonstration. He said that the Thai people are suffering economically, but the elite are still not feeling the people’s pain. Having good politics will be followed by better state welfare. 

He urged the Nation’s readers to reconsider the validity of the content they are consuming. He believed that creating good politics is the best way to repay their parents.

At 17.45, a long and heavy downpour forced the organizers to end the demonstration. The last speaker underlined the 3 demands of the Free People movement: the authorities must stop harassing people, parliament must be dissolved and a new constitution be drafted by a committee elected by the people.

He invited everyone to join the protest at the Democracy Monument on 16 August.