restore order after months of often violent protests against Yingluck´s administration paralysed the government and brought parts of Bangkok to a standstill.
But critics say it was the latest move by the elite to grab power and prevent democracy from taking root in the kingdom.
Late Saturday protesters were still singing songs at Democracy Monument, where some lit candles as night fell.
Rangsiman Rome, a leading member of the NDM who has been charged with sedition, said he was "worried" about the consequences of the protest but felt compelled to speak out.
"I must do this, I have no choice," said the democracy campaigner.
Thailand´s military court has not yet ruled on whether to try the 14 students, who were detained for nearly two weeks earlier this summer.
Their case has seen both the United Nations and European Union urge the government to drop the sedition charges, which carry up to seven years in jail.
Despite their small numbers compared to the mass street protests that have pockmarked Thailand in recent years, the student activists have been a persistent thorn in the side of the junta which has been internationally condemned for its crackdown on civil liberties.
Siranith Seritiwat, a political sciences student, said the rally was important for people to know they "can fight against military rule which has no legitimacy".
The 24-year-old added that the activists faced no tussles with police on entering the site despite the junta´s order against the protest.
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