A group of university students in Thailand dressed up in Harry Potter costumes to protest their government, comparing the king to Voldemort. The film franchise, which consisted of eight movies, and has spawned a number of theme parks and a prequel film series, is popular around the globe. Harry Potter's themes of self-determination, fighting for what's right, and standing up in the face of adversity have made it resonate with youth around the globe who find themselves in difficult situations; situations like the one young people find themselves in in Thailand.
The kingdom is ruled by a coalition of parties that are endorsed by the military, who engaged in a coup in 2014, overthrowing the democratically-elected government. In addition, King Maha Vajiralongkorn enforces incredibly strict rules, including ones that keep him free from criticism and make it illegal to say anything negative about him or the rest of the royal family. As a result, a number of protests have sprung up in recent months, protesting the government and the king.
According to Variety, a group of students from two universities in the Thai capital of Bangkok has taken to the streets to protest the government dressed in Harry Potter costumes and carrying placards bearing Voldemort's face. The placards refer to the King's laws that make it almost impossible to talk about him without fear of being accused of criticizing him, leading young people to call him "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," a term used for Voldemort in the Harry Potter series.
The protesters gathered to call for the monarchy to dissolve the current government, including parliament, and establish a proper democracy. The fans in Harry Potter costume reportedly said they were "casting a spell" to help return democracy to the South-East Asian kingdom. The protest was organized on social media, and dubbed “Harry Potter versus He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”
It's a wonderful example of the power of popular culture and storytelling to make a real difference in people's lives. Whether they would have done so without the influence of J.K Rowling's stories or not, it's clear that this group of protesters was inspired to stand up for what they believe in thanks to the Harry Potter series. It's also clear why they chose to dress up as the character.
Besides his fight against Voldemort, the ultimate evil, Potter consistently stands up for what's right throughout the series. He refuses to follow the draconian school laws implemented by Dolores Umbridge, standing up for the weaker members of wizard society, helping to free house-elf Dobby, among many other examples of his fight for what's right. Whether they are successful or not, it's clear these students have taken the key lessons of the Harry Potter stories to heart.
Source: Variety
