The mostly young demonstrators, who began the day by assembling under a steady rain at the Tha Prachan campus of Thammasat University nearby, have also vowed to press for reform of the monarchy, an issue that has provoked strong reactions from more conservative segments of society.

However, an increasing number of seasoned protest veterans from the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), after keeping a low profile for the past few years, have decided it’s time to throw their support behind the movement.