Thai protesters mock government with cartoon theme song

Bangkok, Thailand: Hundreds of young protesters took to the streets of Bangkok on Sunday, July 26 running around the city's Democracy Monument and singing a cartoon theme with modified lyrics as they called on the government to stop wasting taxpayers' money.

Inspired by the cartoon 'Hamtaro', the protesters took inspiration from the main character, a hamster, by running in circles to imitate being in a hamster wheel and chanting, "Dissolve the parliament" and "Authoritarians, get out." A protester, clutching a plush figure of Hamtaro and who gave her name as 'Fah', said the hamster-inspired protest was a way of getting away from traditional forms of demonstrating in the hope that the government would take notice.

"The adults may think because we're doing this, they can't take us seriously. But this is the way for the new generations," she said.

The rally is the latest in a series of protests under the Free Youth movement, which has issued three demands: the dissolution of parliament, an end to harassment of government critics, and amendments to the military-written constitution.