Yellow ducks became protest symbol by accident

When police mounted a crackdown on a November rally, deploying tear gas and water cannon outside parliament in Bangkok, footage of demonstrators hiding behind giant inflatable ducks went viral.

Within days, duck-themed paraphernalia became a staple among street vendors at protests, the birds featuring on everything from hats to hair clips.

The toy’s emergence as a protest symbol happened by accident. Protesters had intended to float on inflatable ducks down the Chao Phraya River behind parliament as lawmakers inside debated proposals for constitutional change.

But since their redeployment as protection from tear gas and chemical-laced water fired from…