Breaching a lockdown imposed by authorities, more than 10,000 people on Saturday poured onto the streets of Malaysian capital in the biggest political rally in years to demand electoral reforms.
People came out in fair numbers for the opposition-backed rally to bring pressure on Prime Minister Najib Razak’s long ruling coalition to usher in electoral reforms and more transparency ahead of national polls early next year.
Police fired tear gas and detained more than 514 people as they sealed off all major roads leading to the city centre in the capital, closed train stations and deployed trucks mounted with water cannons to thwart the rally.
Many were held at public area where they had gathered to march to independence stadium in downtown Kuala Lumpur.
Thousands of other marchers were also trying to make their way to the venue, shouting slogans ‘long live the people’ and ‘we want electoral reforms’
Police have declared the protest illegal, warning of chaos in the streets. Hundreds of policemen, many armed with batons and anti-riot gear and backed by water cannon, have been deployed in strategic locations around the capital.
The rally marked the culmination of a campaign launched by opposition parties who have accused Mr. Najib’s national front government of clinging to power for 54-years through electoral frauds.
The rally, called by the non-governmental organisation Bersih 2.0 (meaning clean in Malay language), was to be held at the city centre but after Prime Minister Najib suggested that the march be held inside a stadium, Bersih chief Ambiga Sreenevasan agreed.
Police fires tear gas
Malaysian riot police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of protesters from the rally calling for electoral reforms.
Tear gas was fired in at least three different locations within the capital Kuala Lumpur, which was locked down from midnight Friday.
No injuries had yet to be reported.
Protest organizers had defied a police ban on the demonstration to demand an overhaul of electoral laws to be more transparent and fair.
Officials accused organizers of threatening national security and plotting to overthrow the government.
Authorities have clamped down hard on activists over the past two weeks, arresting hundreds of people and putting up blockades around the capital.
Organizers criticised the police action as “a show of might over the show of right” and a violation of the right to peaceful assembly.
Special force police officers surrounded the building where the activists were holding a press conference attended by top opposition leaders including former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.
Organizers were due to begin their march into town, but faced possible arrest before making much ground.
The protesters had intended to hold the rally at the Merdeka Stadium, but crowds instead detoured to other parts of the city after police put up barbed wire to block access to the stadium.
Authorities had also held an exercise in which soldiers held up banners reading “disperse or we will shoot,” and the army was placed on standby to be deployed for crowd control.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has supported the strict actions of the authorities, even throwing his endorsement behind local martial arts groups, including one that vowed to “wage war” against the activists.
Protest leaders said they had received death threats.
“The authorities have put obstacle after obstacle where they only needed to provide sincere cooperation to win the trust and confidence of the people,” they said in a statement said Friday.
“(But) we have witnessed nothing but the utmost bravery and commitment to peace and justice demonstrated by ordinary Malaysians from every walk of life.” The official reaction to the rally was almost unprecedented in Malaysia’s recent history, creating an atmosphere of fear rare in a country that prides itself on moderation and harmony.
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