In Thailand, Jennifer Lawrence and her cult favorite “Hunger Games” series are much more than pop culture phenomenons: They’re political icons.
Eight students in Thailand were detained by police for flashing a salute from “The Hunger Games” in protest of the military regime that currently controls the country, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
The three-finger salute was immortalized by Jennifer Lawrence’s character in the blockbuster movies, where the sign eventually becomes a symbol for rebellion against a tyrannical government. It is banned in Thailand, after protesters began using the salute to protest the May military coup.
Police arrested a female activist for showing #HungerGames salute at Siam Paragon #MockingjayPremiere. #Thailand pic.twitter.com/aP1QOBjE7t
— Sunai (@sunaibkk) November 20, 2014
On Wednesday, five students wore t-shirts that said “Don’t want a Coup” and flashed the salute at General Prayuth Chanocha. The normally prickly military dictator responded with a smile, asking: “Anyone else want to protest? Come quickly. Then I can continue with my speech.” They were quickly detained by police.
On Thursday, at least three more were arrested for flashing it at a theater and promotional billboard for the franchise’s latest film “Mockingjay—Part 1.”









