BANGKOK — A protest in solidarity with an ongoing anti-racism movement in the United States is coming to Thailand, though it would be held online rather than on the streets, organizers said Friday.
The Thai version of #BlackLivesMatter rally will take place online at 2.15pm on Sunday, organizer of the event “Justice For George Floyd” said. Organizers said they initially wanted to hold a flash-mob inside a park, but they believed police would have blocked it due to the Emergency Decree, which bans gatherings.
“Thailand’s current emergency decree due to COVID-19 has made it impossible to obtain a police permit to hold a public rally,” the organizers said in a statement. “We wanted to do a flash-mob where we would hold a moment of silence together in the park apart, but the media caught on to our event and started reporting about it.”
The “protest” will take place on Zoom online conference call, organizers said, who added that up to 1,000 people have expressed their interest.
“Our two main concerns: not breaking any Thai laws and staying COVID-19 safe. As a result, we had to scratch off many ideas,” the statement said.
Supporters are also urged to shoot a video saying why they stand united with the cause in the United States before Saturday, and join a 8.46 minutes of silence on Sunday.
Under the emergency rule enacted by the government, large gatherings or people and any acts deemed to cause unrest are banned.
Demonstration and unrest erupted in the U.S. after a black man named George Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25 – the latest person of color to have died at the hands of American police.
The protests also spread globally throughout the week. Rallies were held in cities including Rio de Janeiro, London, Seoul, Nairobi, and Melbourne.
