Anti-coup protesters raised up their clenched fists during a rally near the railway station in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Monday. The protest movement has embraced nonviolence.
Anti-coup protesters hold posters that read "#Reject Military Coup #Save Myanmar" as they gather under an elevated roadway just outside the Hledan Centre in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military's seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (AP Photos)
Anti-coup protesters depict the plight of civil servants being forced to work at gunpoint by the military junta during a rally in Mandalay, Myanmar, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military's seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (AP Photo)
In this image taken from MRTV video, part of a public announcement from the State Administration Council warning against the general strike planned Feb. 22 appears on screen in English text during the MRTV evening news bulletin that aired late Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021 in Myanmar. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military’s Feb. 1 seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (MRTV video via AP)
Anti-coup protesters hold signs that read "We Don't Accept Military Coup" as they gather outside the Hledan Centre in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military's seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (AP Photos)
Anti-coup protesters hold signs that read "We Don't Accept Military Coup" as they gather outside the Hledan Centre in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military's seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (AP Photos)
Anti-coup protesters gather under an elevated roadway just outside the Hledan Centre in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military's seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (AP Photos)
Anti-coup protesters hold signs that read "We Don't Accept Military Coup" as they gather under an elevated roadway outside the Hledan Centre in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military's seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (AP Photos)
Anti-coup protesters step on posters with an image of a soldier and a Burmese sign that reads "armed terrorist" plastered on a road in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Protesters gathered in Myanmar's biggest city Monday despite the ruling junta's thinly veiled threat to use lethal force if people answered a call for a general strike opposing the military takeover three weeks ago. (AP Photos)
Anti-coup protesters flash the three-fingered salute outside the Hledan Centre in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Protesters gathered in Myanmar's biggest city Monday despite the ruling junta's thinly veiled threat to use lethal force if people answered a call for a general strike opposing the military takeover three weeks ago. (AP Photos)
An anti-coup protester holds a sign that reads: "We Want Justice" along with an image showing bullet casings on a pool of blood during a rally near the Mandalay Railway Station in Mandalay, Myanmar, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military's seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (AP Photo)
Anti-coup protesters flash the three-fingered salute during a rally near the Mandalay Railway Station in Mandalay, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military's seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (AP Photo)
Anti-coup protesters hold up posters with images of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a rally near the Mandalay Railway Station in Mandalay, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military’s seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (AP Photo)
Police security forces form a line to block a road near the U.S. embassy in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Protesters gathered in Myanmar's biggest city Monday despite the ruling junta's thinly veiled threat to use lethal force if people answered a call for a general strike opposing the military takeover three weeks ago.(AP Photo)
Anti-coup protesters fill up roads as they gather near the Mandalay Railway Station in Mandalay, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military’s seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (AP Photo)
Anti-coup protesters gather outside the Hledan Centre while the flag of the National League for Democracy party is waved from an overhead roadway in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Protesters gathered in Myanmar’s biggest city Monday despite the ruling junta’s thinly veiled threat to use lethal force if people answered a call for a general strike opposing the military takeover three weeks ago.(AP Photo)
Anti-coup protesters fill the main road during a rally in Mandalay, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military's seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes.(AP Photo)
A woman depicts the plight of a civil servant being forced to work at gunpoint by the military junta during an anti-coup rally in Mandalay, Myanmar, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military's seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes. (AP Photo)
YANGON, Myanmar — Protesters gathered in Myanmar’s biggest city on Monday despite the ruling junta’s threat to use lethal force against people who join a general strike against the army takeover three weeks ago.
More than 1,000 protesters gathered near the U.S. Embassy in Yangon despite barriers blocking the way, but left to avoid a confrontation after 20 military trucks with riot police arrived nearby. Protests continued in other parts of the city, including next to Sule Pagoda, a traditional gathering point.
Factories, workplaces and shops were shuttered across the country Monday in response to the call for a nationwide strike. The closings extended to the capital, Naypyitaw.
In a public announcement Sunday night, the junta had warned against a general strike.
“It is found that the protesters have raised their incitement towards riot and anarchy mob on the day of 22 February. Protesters are now inciting the people, especially emotional teenagers and youths, to a confrontation path where they will suffer the loss of life,” the onscreen text said in English, replicating the spoken announcement in Burmese.
The junta’s statement also blamed criminals for past protest violence, with the result that “the security force members had to fire back.” Three protesters have been fatally shot.
Trucks cruised the streets of Yangon on Sunday night, blaring similar warnings.
The protest movement has embraced nonviolence. It seeks to restore power to the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and have her and other leaders released from detention.
The nationwide strike was dubbed Five-Twos, for the five number twos in the numeric form of Monday’s date.
“I am joining the 22222 nationwide protest as a citizen of the country. We must join the protest this time without fail,” said 42-year-old Zayar, a water bottler in the capital. “So I’ve closed down my factory and joined the demonstration.”
Zin Mi Mi Aung, a 27-year-old saleswoman, also joined the strike.
“We don’t want to be governed by the regime,” she said as people marched and chanted behind her. “We will fight against them until we win.”
Thousands of people gathered in the capital’s wide boulevards, many on motorbikes to allow swift movement in the event of any police action.
Reports and photos of protests in at least a dozen cities and towns were posted on social media. Overhead views, some shot from drones, showed massive crowds in six cities appearing to number in the tens of thousands.
There were pictures of a particularly colorful event in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan state, where scores of small, red hot-air balloons were set aloft. A bigger one was adorned with a drawing of the three-finger salute adopted by the anti-coup movement. The city is famous for its annual hot-air balloon festival.
In Pyinmana, a satellite town of Naypyitaw, police chased people through the streets to arrest them. Reports on social media, including from worried family members, said police had arrested 200 or more, mostly young people, and sent them to a military base. If confirmed, it would be the biggest mass arrest since the protests started.
The general strike was an extension of actions called by the Civil Disobedience Movement, a loosely organized group that has been encouraging civil servants and workers at state enterprises to walk off their jobs. Many transport workers and white-collar workers have responded to the appeal.
On Saturday, a General Strike Committee was formed by more than two dozen groups to provide a more formal structure for the resistance movement and launch a “spring revolution.”
The ominous signs of potential conflict drew attention outside Myanmar, with the U.S. reiterating that it stood with the people of Myanmar, also called Burma.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter that the U.S. would take firm action “against those who perpetrate violence against the people of Burma as they demand the restoration of their democratically elected government.”
“We call on the military to stop violence, release all those unjustly detained, cease attacks on journalists and activists, and respect the will of the people,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Twitter.
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