Anti-military protestors in Thailand have started using the three-finger salute made famous by The Hunger Games. Military leaders seized control of the country on May 22, marking the second time in eight years the country has been overthrown. Since the police are targeting anti-military demonstrators, using any paper handouts they have as evidence against them, the protestors are now reportedly using the Hunger Games salute as a way to band together, show their strength and support for the cause, then quickly disperse into the city.
According to The Global Post, these protestors “materialize suddenly, by the dozens, raising a three-finger salute toward the sky, then vanish as quickly as they appear, melting into crowds to evade scores of armed troops and police.” (Sounds like something Katniss Everdeen would be proud of.)
In the Hunger Games, the three-finger salute is used to show opposition to Panem’s classist and totalitarian government. In Thailand, it’s used in a similar fashion—though protestors say it’s a tribute to both the film and the French Revolution, with each one of the three fingers standing for liberty, equality, or fraternity.
For those interested in checking out pictures of the protestors using the hand signal, there are a ton over at Think Progress.