BANGKOK — Students at Thailand’s elite high schools on Wednesday announced they would stage rallies in solidarity with similar protests held in universities across the country.

Satriwithaya School students are urged to gather at 3pm at their all-girl school, which is located right next to the iconic Democracy Monument.

Using the hashtag #SWStandsWithDemocracy, the organizers said there would be speeches and raising of the anti-military three finger salute at 4pm, before marching to join a similar protest at Silpakorn University down the Ratchadamnoen Avenue at 4.30pm.

After school management forbid them to rally inside the school ground as planned, a group of Satriwithaya students move their anti-government protest to Democracy Monument. #สวที่อยู่ข้างประชาธิปไตย Story: https://t.co/o6lxtWbzP5 pic.twitter.com/HwNIYqC3W1 — Khaosod English (@KhaosodEnglish) February 26, 2020

Triamudom School also sheds its studious, “nerd” image today with the announcement by its student activists that a rally would be held at their school football field on Thursday morning. A popular hashtag used by the students said they will not “bow to dictatorship.”

The news mark entry by high school students into the ongoing wave of protests, which had been largely organized by university students so far.

The rally initially broke out in response to the dissolution of the Future Forward Party but have since evolved into a public display of dissent against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government.

In what many netizens see as an attempt to discourage students from joining tomorrow’s protest, Triamudom management released a statement urging students to go home immediately after they receive their exam results on Thursday. Non-students will also be prohibited from entering the school ground.

The school cited concerns over coronavirus outbreak and PM2.5 pollution for its measure.

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